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LETTERS 
OF   A    DIPLOMAT'S    WIFE 


BOOKS  BY  MADAME  WADDINGTON 
Published    by    CHARLES    SCRIBNER'S    SONS 


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LETTERS   OF  A 
DIPLOMAT'S  WIFE 

1883-1900 

BY 

MARY    KING   WADDINGTON 


ILLUSTRATED    FROM   DRAWINGS 
AND    PHOTOGRAPHS 


J      *   ^     >     :>  »» 


CHARLES   SCRIBNER'S   SONS 
NEW  YORK  ::  ::  ::  ::  ::  ::    1911 


IV  m 


Copyright,  1903,  by 
CHARLES    SCRIBNER'S   SONS 


Published,  May,  1903 


INTRODUCTORY   NOTE 

BY  THE  COLLECTOR  OF  THE   LETTERS 

Mary  Alsop  King  Waddington  is  a  daughter 
of  the  late  Charles  King,  President  of  Columbia  College 
in  the  City  of  New  York  from  1849  to  1864,  and  a 
granddaughter  of  Rufus  King,  the  second  Minister  sent 
to  England  by  the  United  States  after  the  adoption  of 
the  Constitution. 

Miss  King  was  educated  in  this  country.  In  1871, 
after  the  death  of  her  father,  she  went,  with  her  mother 
and  sisters,  to  live  in  France,  and  in  1874  became  the 
wife  of  M.  William  Henry  Waddington. 

M.  Waddington  was  born  in  Normandy,  France,  in 
1826.  His  grandfather  was  an  Englishman  who  had 
established  cotton  manufactories  in  France,  and  had  be- 
come a  naturalised  French  citizen.  The  grandson,  how- 
ever, was  educated  first  in  a  Paris  lycee,  then  at  Rugby, 
and  later  at  Trinity  College,  Cambridge.  As  an  under- 
graduate he  rowed  in  the  Cambridge  boat  in  the  Uni- 
versity race  of  1849.  Soon  after  leaving  the  University, 
M.  Waddington  returned  to  France  and  entered  public 
life.  In  187 1  he  was  elected  a  representative  from  the 
Department  of  the  Aisne  to  the  National  Assembly,  and 
two  years  afterward  was  appointed  Minister  of  Public 
Instruction  in  place  of  M.  Jules  Simon.  In  January, 
1876,  he  was  elected  a  senator  for  the  Department  of 
the  Aisne,  and  two  months  later  again  became  Minister 


vi  INTRODUCTORY   NOTE 

of  Public  Instruction.  In  December,  1877,  he  accepted 
the  portfoho  of  Minister  of  Foreign  Affairs. 

M.  Waddington  was  the  first  plenipotentiary  of 
France  to  the  Congress  of  Berlin  in  1878.  On  February 
4,  1879,  he  became  President  of  the  Council  (Premier), 
retiring  the  following  December.  In  the  winter  of  1879- 
1880  he  refused  the  offer  of  the  London  Embassy.  In 
May,  1883,  he  was  sent  as  Ambassador- Extraordinary  to 
represent  France  at  the  coronation  of  the  Czar  Alex- 
ander III  at  Moscow,  and  upon  his  return  from  Russia 
was  appointed  Ambassador  at  the  Court  of  St.  James 
to  succeed  M.  Tissot.  He  held  this  post  until  1893, 
and  died  in  Paris  in  the  following  year. 

Mme.  Waddington  accompanied  her  husband  on  his 
missions  to  both  England  and  Russia.  The  letters  col- 
lected in  this  volume  were  written  during  the  period 
of  her  husband's  diplomatic  service  to  describe  to  her 
sisters  the  personages  and  incidents  of  her  ofhcial  Hfe. 
About  a  fourth  part  of  their  number  have  lately  been 
published  in  Scrihner's  Magazine;  with  this  exception, 
the  letters  are  now  given  to  the  public  for  the  first  time, 

Tompkins  McIlvaine. 
New  York,  April  i,  1903. 


ILLUSTRATIONS 

Portrait  of  Madame  Waddington  .       .       .      Frontispiece 


FACING 
PAGE 


Colonel  Benckendorff       .....••      34 

From  a  photograph  by  Bergamasco,  St.  Petersburg. 

The   Emperor   Crowning  the  Empress.     Church   de 

L'ASSOMPTION o         .       66 

Empress  Marie  in  her  Coronation  Robes     .        .        .      68 
Grand  Due  Wladimir io4 

From  a  photograph  by  Bergamasco,  St.  Petersburg. 

M,  William  Waddington    ...  ...    142 

From  a  copyright  photograph  by  Russell  ^^  Son. 

The  French  Embassy,  Albert  Gate,  London        .        .    168 

The  Dining-room  of   the  French   Embassy,  London, 

Showing  its  Two  Famous  Gobelin  Tapestries       .     172 

J,  J.  Jusserand,  Counsellor  of  the  French    Embassy    178 

Recently  appointed  French  Ambassador  to  the  United  States.     From  a 
photograph  by  Walery,  Paris. 

The  Duchess  of  Cambridge 180 

From  a  photograph  by  Walery,  London, 

Windsor  Castle    .        »       . ^9^ 

Mo  and  Mme.  Waddington  and  Their  Son    .        .        .198 

From  a  photograph  by  Cesar,  Paris. 

The  Salon  of  the  French  Embassy  in  London    .       .210 

Lady  Salisbury •       •       •       .216 

Knowsley  Hall 228 

The  Earl  of  Derby's  place  at  Prescot,  Lancashire. 

vii 


viii  ILLUSTRATIONS 


FACING 
PAGE 


The  Late  Earl  of  Derby  .    .   o   .   •   •   .  232 

From  a  photograph  by  Franz  Bautn,  London. 

The  Countess  Fanny  Karolyi,  the  Austrian  Am- 
bassadress        246 

From  a  photograph  by  Walery,  London, 

Queen    Victoria,  in    the    Dress    Worn   During   the 

State  Jubilee  Celebration,  June  21,  1887       ,        ,    250 

From  a pJwtograph,  copyright,  by  Hughes  &r>  Mullins,  Ryde,  England. 

The  Crown  Prince  Frederick  of  Germany,  in  the 
Uniform  Worn  by  Him  at  the  Jubilee  Celebra- 
tion, London,  June,  1887 254 

Front  a  photograph  by  Loescher  &*  Petsch,  Berlin. 

COMTESSE  DE   FlORIAN 262 

From  a  photograph  by  Walery,  London. 

Group  at  Hatfield  House  during  the  visit  of  the 

Shah  of  Persia,  July  8,  1889 304 

From  a  photograph  by  Rtissell  &"  Sons,  London. 

Lord  Salisbury 306 

From  a  photograph  by  La7nbert  Weston  &*  Son,  Dover, 

A  Comedy  for  Children  at  the  French  Embassy       .    320 

Frotn  a  photograph  by  Barker  &^  Pragnell,  London. 

The  Empress  Frederick,  wearing  the  Order  of  the 

Black  Eagle   .......        c        o    388 

The  last  portrait  of  the  Empress  by  the  artist  A  ngeli. 

Entrance  to  the  Club  and  Gardens,  Cowes,  Isle  of 

Wight 392 

From  a  photograph  by  Broderick. 


LETTERS 
OF   A    DIPLOMAT'S    WIFE 


PART   I 
THE    CORONATION    OF    THE    CZAR 


To  G.  K.  S. 

Paris, 
31,  Rue  Dumont  d'Urville, 
March  15,  1883. 

Our  breakfast  at  the  EngHsh  Embassy  was  most  inter- 
esting. I  began  by  refusing  on  account  of  my  mourn- 
ing, but  Lord  Lyons  wrote  me  a  nice  note  saying  that 
there  would  be  no  one  but  the  Leon  Says  and  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Gladstone,  so  I  accepted.  I  was  very  anxious  to 
see  Mr.  Gladstone. 

We  had  a  pretty  little  breakfast  upstairs  in  the  small 
dining-room,  and  the  talk  at  table  was  most  interest- 
ing. I  thought  Mrs.  Gladstone  looked  older  than  her 
husband.  He  of  course  did  most  of  the  talking.  He 
has  a  fine  voice,  bright,  keen,  dark  eyes,  holds  himself 
very  erect,  and  apparently  knows  everything  about 
everything.  When  the  men  were  smoking  after  break- 
fast I  had  quite  a  talk  with  Mrs.  Gladstone,  who  told 
me  about  the  murder  of  Lord  Frederick  Cavendish. 
She  said  her  husband  heard  it  at  a  big  London  party, 
and  had  to  go  and  tell  Lady  Frederick.  Mr.  Gladstone 
was  more  upset  by  the  whole  thing  (and  the  having  to 
tell  the  unfortunate  wife)  than  she  had  ever  seen  him. 
II  y  avait  de  quoi,  for  even  here  in  Paris,  where  outside 

3 


4     LETTERS   OF  A   DIPLOMAT'S   WIFE   [March 

questions  don't  trouble  them  very  much,  there  was  great 
excitement  when  the  news  came. 

I  had  a  nice  talk  with  Plunkett,  who  congratulated  me 
on  W.'s*  appointment  as  Ambassador  to  Vienna.  I  told 
him  there  was  no  truth  in  the  report  (they  had  offered 
it  to  W.,  but  he  won't  hear  of  it),  and  I  think  he  is  quite 
right.  He  has  no  particular  attaches  at  Vienna.  He 
knows  German  well,  but  doesn't  speak  it  absolutely  per- 
fectly, and  hasn't  really  the  social  talents  that  one  needs 
in  Vienna.  They  ought  to  send  a  dashing  general,  or  a 
courtier,  not  a  serious  savant. 

We  certainly  are  leading  different  lives.  I  am  wrapped 
in  my  fur  coat,  and  driving  in  a  shut  carriage.  Your 
tea  in  the  garden  sends  a  shiver  through  me.  It  sounds 
quite  romantic  having  the  son  of  the  ''Roi  des  Mon- 
tagues" to  breakfast.  I  wonder  if  I  shall  ever  see 
Athens;  W.  says  when  I  do  that  I  will  never  care  again 
for  Rome;  that  colouring  and  ruins  are  far  superior  in 
Greece.  I  almost  think  in  that  case  I  would  rather  re- 
main under  my  present  impression  of  dear,  beautiful 
Rome,  not  quite  like  our  American  friend,  who  thought 
''the  Colosseum   was  pretty,   but  she  liked   the   Court- 

House  at  St.  Louis  better." 

Paris, 
Sunday,  March  i8,  1883. 

I  will  write  a  little  this  morning.  Dear — I  am  just  back 
from  I'Etoile.  I  have  had  rather  an  agitated  week,  and 
here  is  my  news,  good — bad — I  don't  know  myself.  W. 
is  going  as  Ambassador  Extraordinary  to  Moscow  to 
represent  France  at  the  Coronation  of  the  Emperor  Alex- 

*  W.  here  and  throughout  these  letters  refers  to  Mme.  Waddington's 
husband,  M.  William  Henry  Waddington,  "G.  K.  S.,"  "H.  L.  K.,"  "A. 
J.  K."  and  "J.  K.,"  to  whom  the  letters  are  addressed,  refer  to  Mme.  Wad- 
dington's sisters,  Mrs.  Eugene  Schuyler,  Miss  Henrietta  L.  King,  and 
the  late  Miss  Anne  J.  King,  and  to  her  sister-in-law,  the  late  Mrs.  Cor* 
oelius  L.  King. 


e883]  the  RUSSIAN  MISSION  5 

ander.  It  was  a  "bolt  from  the  blue"  to  us.  I  will  tell 
you  from  the  beginning.  We  went  to  ride  as  usual 
Thursday  morning,  but  rather  earlier  than  usual  (9.30). 
When  we  came  home  Mdme.  Hubert  told  us  we  hadn't 
been  gone  ten  minutes,  when  le  Ministre  des  Affaires 
Etrangeres  (Challemel-Lacour)  came  to  see  W.,  was 
much  discomposed  at  not  finding  him,  and  told  Mdme, 
H.  he  would  come  back  at  11.  He  didn't  reappear,  but 
one  of  the  young  attaches  did,  with  a  note  from  Challe- 
mel  begging  W.  to  come  and  see  him  directly  after 
breakfast.  We  couldn't  think  what  he  wanted,  but  we 
both  made  up  our  minds  it  was  to  insist  on  the  Vienna 
Embassy.  I  protested,  and  I  think  W.  would  not  have 
taken  it. 

I  went  out  in  the  afternoon  with  Anne  to  try  on  a  dress 
at  Redfern's,  and  just  as  we  were  coming  away  W.  ap- 
peared. He  had  seen  the  carriage  at  the  door  and  knew 
he  would  find  us.  He  looked  rather  preoccupied,  so  I 
said,  "You  are  not  surely  going  to  Vienna?" 

"No,  not  to  Vienna,  probably  to  Russia,  for  the  Coro- 
nation." 

I  was  too  bewildered  at  first  to  take  it  in,  and  I  must 
frankly  say  I  was  wretched.  Of  course  he  asked  24 
hours  to  think  it  over,  though  the  Minister  urged  him 
very  much  to  accept  at  once.  Challemel  also  wishes  me 
to  go,  says  a  woman  gives  more  eclat  to  an  Embassy. 
Of  course  it  will  be  a  magnificent  sight,  but  I  am  a  per- 
fect poltroon — I  am  so  afraid  they  will  take  advantage 
of  that  crowd  to  blow  up  everybody.  However,  if  that 
should  happen  it  would  be  better  to  be  blown  up  to- 
gether, but  I  really  am  nervous  fl  am  not  usually  such  a 
coward,  but  Russian  Nihilists  and  dynamiters  are  terrible 
elements  to  contend  with),  and  wish  they  hadn't  asked 
him  to  go. 


6     LETTERS   OF  A  DIPLOMAT'S   WIFE  [March 

Of  course  it  is  a  great  honour  and  compliment  to  W.'s 
personal  position,  and  I  have  given  no  opinion,  but  I 
don't  feel  happy  at  all.  I  have  always  said  that  I  would 
never  try  to  influence  my  husband's  actions  (public)  in 
any  way,  and  I  suppose  I  have  kept  to  that  as  well  as 
most  women  do  who  marry  public  men,  but  I  should  like 
to  put  a  decided  veto  now.  I  will  keep  you  au  courant  of 
the  decision. 

March  20th. 

Well,  Dear,  it  is  quite  decided.  W.  accepts  to  go  to 
Moscow,  and  takes  me  with  him.  He  consulted  his 
brother  and  his  friends  and  all  told  him  he  could  not  re- 
fuse. As  long  as  they  didn't  send  a  soldier  (W.  himself 
would  have  asked  Marechal  MacMahon  to  go,  if  he  had 
been  at  the  Foreign  Office),  he  was  "tout  indique."*  It 
seems  all  the  other  Powers  are  going  to  send  Princes — 
Spain,  the  Due  de  Montpensier;  England,  the  Duke  of 
Edinburgh;  Italy,  the  Due  d'Aoste,  etc. 

We  are  to  start  somewhere  about  the  8th  or  loth  of 
May.  W.  is  busy  now  composing  his  Mission.  Of  course 
everybody  wants  to  go.  It  seems  such  an  undertaking. 
We  had  a  nice  ride  this  morning — various  people  riding 
with  us,  and  all  talking  about  the  Coronation.  I  over- 
heard one  timid  old  gentleman  saying  to  W.,  "Vous  em- 
menez  votre  f emme  ?  Vous  avez  tort ;  on  ne  sait  pas  ce 
qui  peut  arriver" — not  very  reassuring. 

April  I  St. 
My  Dear,  my  letters  will  now  become  monotonous, 
as  I  have  only  one  idea — the  Mission,     All  the  arrange- 
ments are  being  made,  such  an  affair.     W.  has  sent  off 
a  man  to  Moscow  to  see  about  a  house  big  enough  to 

*  After  the  Berlin  Congress  and  the  Foreign  Office. 


1883]         PERSONNEL  OF  THE  MISSION  7 

hold  all  the  party,  with  ballroom,  and  large  dining-room 
We  are  9  people— W.  and  I;  Comte  de  Pontecoulant, 
Ministre  Plenipotentiaire  (W.'s  ancien  Chef  de  Cabinet); 
General  Pittie  (General  de  Division,  chef  de  la  maison 
militaire  du  President  de  la  Republique);  Colonel 
Comte  de  SesmaisonS;,  commandant  les  6eme  hns- 
sards;  Frangois  de  Corcelle,  Secretaire  d'Ambassade; 
Commandant  Fayet  (de  la  maison  du  President  — 
Jules  Grevy)  ;  Richard  Waddington,  Depute,  Capitaine 
dans  I'armee  territorial ;  Robert  Calmon,  Heutenant 
dans  I'armee  territoriale.  L'uniforme  est  absolument 
necessaire  en  Russie. 

We  have  three  servants — W.'s  valet  Joseph  and  my 
two  maids  Adelaide  and  Mdme.  Hubert.  All  the  gentle- 
men have  their  servants.  Then  there  is  Pierson,  the 
huissier  from  the  Quai  d'Orsay  (you  know  whom  I  mean, 
the  big  man  who  wears  a  gilt  chain,  announces  the  people, 
and  writes  down  names,  etc.),  two  cooks  with  one  or 
two  gargons  de  cuisine;  3  coachmen,  Hubert  of  course, 
and  two  Englishmen.  One,  Mr.  Leroy,  such  a  magnifi- 
cent person,  came  this  morning  to  see  W.  He  has  al- 
ready represente  on  several  occasions,  and  driven  gala 
carriages,  etc.  He  seems  graciously  inclined  to  go  with 
us  (with  very  high  wages,  and  making  his  conditions — 
will  drive  only  the  Ambassador  and  Ambassadress  in  the 
gala  carriage,  etc.).  That  will  necessitate  very  deHcate 
negotiations  with  Hubert,  who  also  wishes  to  drive  only 
the  Ambassador  and  me.  However,  as  he  has  never 
driven  a  gala  carriage,  and  they  are  very  heavy,  unwieldy 
vehicles  to  manage,  I  think  he  must  waive  his  claim. 

April  loth. 

There  has  also  been  a  long  consultation  about  horses, 
how  many  for  the  gala  carriage.     When  Marechal  Mac- 


8        LETTERS   OF    A    DIPLOMAT'S   WIFE  [April 

Mahon  went  as  Ambassador  Extraordinary  to  the  Em- 
peror of  Germany's  Coronation  he  had  six  horses  and 
running  footmen  (it  seems  there  must  be  six  or  two — 
four  are  not  allowed.  Four  would  be  too  sporting — not 
serious  enough).  We  have  four  enormous  footmen, 
and  one  ordinary  sized  one  for  every-day  use — 2  gala 
carriages,  and  a  coupe  d'Orsay,  which  must  be  painted 
dark  blue  with  white  stripes,  our  colours. 

April  1 2th. 

We  are  getting  on  slowly.  The  horse  question  is 
settled — no  one  has  more  than  two,  so  we  take  9 
enormous  carrossiers.  Hawes  is  commissioned  to  get 
them.  They  could  not  be  found  anywhere  in  France. 
I  forget  the  exact  height  (as  big  as  they  make  them), 
but  he  promises  to  get  them  from  England,  or  the 
Luxembourg,  where  it  seems  they  have  a  special  breed 
of  enormous,  heavy  coach  horses. 

We  had  a  most  satisfactory  interview  this  morning 
with  M.  Lhermite,  the  head  man  of  the  great  restaurant, 
Potel  &  Chaboto  W.  had  been  rather  bothered  about 
a  head  man,  or  major  domo,  who  could  take  charge  of 
the  whole  household.  Our  Joseph  is  not  very  brilliant 
— he  does  W.'s  service,  and  can  look  after  an  ordinary 
household,  but  would  not  be  at  all  up  to  the  mark  in 
this  case.  Lhermite  heard  that  W.  was  looking  for 
someone,  so  he  came  and  volunteered  to  go  with  us, 
and  superintend  everything.  He  was  so  well  dressed 
and  had  such  good  manners  that  W.  rather  demurred, 
and  thought  he  was  above  the  place;  however  Lhermite 
pressed  it  very  much,  and  wound  up  by  saying,  "J'^i 
ete  cuisinier  moi-meme,  Monsieur,  personne  ne  vous 
servira  mieux  que  moi."  So  it  was  settled,  and  he  has 
full  powers  to  engage  cooks,  scullions,  etc. 


1883]  PREPARATIONS  9 

The  man  who  went  to  Moscow  has  just  sent  us  the  ^ 
plan  of  the  house  which  he  has  found.  It  seems  large 
and  handsome,  a  good  entrance,  marble  staircase,  large 
ballroom  and  dining-room,  and  sufficient  bedrooms.  It 
calls  itself  "Maison  Klein,"  not  a  palace;  and  is  evidently 
the  house  of  a  rich  Jew. 

Sunday,  May  6th. 

I  am  glad  to  have  a  day  of  rest,  Dear.  I  didn't  even 
get  up  for  church.  The  standing  at  the  dressmaker's 
is  something  awful.  Yesterday  I  tried  12  dresses 
(finished),  6  at  Delannoy^s  before  breakfast,  and  6  at 
Philippe's  afterwards.  They  are  all  handsome — I  think 
the  Court  dresses  will  be  handsome.  The  principal  one 
for  the  day  of  the  Coronation  is  sapphire  blue  satin 
embroidered  all  round  the  train  (3  metres  long),  with  a 
beautiful  wreath  of  flowers  in  chenille,  and  silk,  and  gold 
and  silver  leaves;  very  showy,  in  fact  rather  clinquant 
(not  at  all  like  me),  but  they  said  I  must  have  "des  toi- 
lettes a  efifet  qui  seraient  remarquees."  The  under-dress 
is  salmon  pink  satin,  the  front  all  covered  with  flowers 
to  match  the  embroidery.  I  shall  wear  blue  feathers 
(short  ones)  in  my  hair.  I  am  happy  to  say  that  the 
regulation  white  waving  plumes  of  the  English  Court 
are  not  de  rigueur  in  Russia.  The  other  train  is  a  pale 
pink  satin  with  raised  dark  red  flowers  and  velvet  leaves, 
all  the  front  my  old  point  de  Venise  flounces  which  look 
handsome.    I  suppose  I  shall  take  about  18  dresses  in  all. 

I  have  just  had  a  nice  visit  from  Prince  Orlofif,  Russian 
Ambassador  here,  who  is  a  great  friend  of  ours,  and  who 
was  very  anxious  from  the  first  that  I  should  go.  I 
confided  to  him  that  I  was  very  nervous  and  uncomfort- 
able. I  don't  mind  so  much  in  the  day  time  when  I 
am  seeing  quantities  of  people,  and  interested  in  the 


10      LETTERS   OF   A   DIPLOMAT'S   WIFE    [May 

preparations;  but  I  don't  sleep,  and  have  visions  of  the 
Kremlin  being  blown  up,  and  all  sorts  of  horrors.  As 
Richard*  goes  with  us  too,  I  have  made  W.  appoint  a 
guardian  for  Francis,  as  Henrietta  and  Anne  could  hardly 
bring  up  a  Frenchman,  and  after  all  we  may  none  of  us 
ever  come  back. 

Henrietta  was  reduced  to  tears  this  morning  when  W. 
gave  her  the  key  of  his  secretaire,  and  said  his  will  and 
last  directions  were  there,  in  case  anything  happened  to 
him — cheerful  preparations  for  a  festive  journey. 

Tuesday,  May  8,  1883. 

Our  boxes  and  cases  are  being  packed,  and  the  house 
is  a  curiosity — crowded  with  every  conceivable  thing. 
My  two  maids  (I  take  Mdme.  Hubert  too,  as  Adelaide  is 
not  very  strong,  and  if  she  gave  out  I  should  be  in  a  bad 
way)  are  much  taken  up  with  their  outfit.  They  each 
have  two  sets  of  new  things,  a  blue  serge  costume  and 
coat  for  travelling,  and  a  black  silk  for  their  gala 
occasions.  Pontecoulant  is  always  teasing  Mdme.  Hu- 
bert, and  asking  if  "ses  toilettes  sont  pretes." 

This  morning  I  saw  the  9  gigantic  horses  which  were 
paraded  under  the  windows.  They  started  to-night,  as 
they  must  rest  at  Berlin.  M.  Lhermite  is  a  treasure. 
He  also  starts  to-night  with  his  cooks  and  provisions  of 
all  kinds.  W.  and  Pontecoulant  gave  him  all  their  in- 
structions, and  then  he  came  for  mine.  I  told  him  I 
must  have  my  maids  in  the  room  next  to  me,  and  as  we 
had  a  plan  of  the  house,  it  is  quite  easy.  I  have  a  fair- 
sized  bedroom  and  dressing-room  (which  he  will  arrange 
as  a  sort  of  boudoir)  on  the  court  (no  living  rooms  are 
on  the  street),  and  the  maids  a  large  room  opening  out 

♦  Richard  Waddington,  Mme.  Waddington's  brother-in-law,  now  Senatof 
of  the  Seine  Inferieure. 


1883]  A  QUESTION  OF  JEWELS  ii 

of  the  dressing-room.  He  is  eminently  practical;  takes 
charge  of  the  whole  personnel,  will  arrange  a  sort  of 
dormitory  for  all  the  men  servants;  will  see  that  they  are 
ready  in  time,  clean  and  well  turned  out. 

Pontecoulant,  who  is  also  very  practical,  overlooks 
that  part  of  the  business;  also  the  stables,  and  Mr.  Leroy 
and  Lhermite  will  report  to  him  every  morning.  Leroy 
has  also  just  been  in,  much  pleased  with  his  gala  carriage 
and  liveries.  Hubert  is  beaming,  and  most  particular 
about  his  lace  jabot  and  rufifles.  I  wonder  how  they  will 
all  ever  settle  down  to  our  quiet  life  again. 

Thursday,  loth. 
I  will  finish  this  afternoon.  Dear.  I  am  ready  to  start, 
dressed  in  my  travelling  dress,  dark  blue  cloth,  with  a 
long  coat  Hned  with  red  satin,  and  a  black  hat  with  blue 
feathers  (I  haven't  got  on  the  coat  and  hat  yet).  There 
has  been  such  a  procession  of  people  all  day,  and  great 
vans  to  carry  off  the  luggage.  I  have  been  rather 
bothered  about  my  jewels — how  to  carry  them.  I  have 
taken  everything  the  family  own.  Anne's  necklace,  with 
some  extra  stones  I  had,  has  been  converted  into  a  tiara. 
All  the  Russian  women  wear  their  National  coiffure  at 
the  Coronation,  the  Kakoshnik.  As  that  is  very  high, 
studded  with  jewels,  any  ordinary  arrangement  of  stars 
and  feathers  would  look  insignificant.  Freddy,  who  is 
an  authority  on  such  matters,  advised  me  to  concentrate 
all  my  efforts  on  the  tiara — he  also  suggested  ropes  of 
pearls  (artificial)  but  I  couldn't  make  up  my  mind  to 
that.  Chemin,  the  jeweller,  was  very  anxious  I  should 
"louer"  a  sort  of  breastplate  of  diamonds — but  on  the 
whole  I  preferred  taking  less — merely  mine  and  the 
sisters'.  What  I  shall  do  if  they  are  stolen  or  lost  I  am 
sure  I  don't  know.     I  don't  care  to  carry  them  my- 


12     LETTERS  OF  A  DIPLOMAT'S  WIFE    [May 

self  in  a  bag,  as  I  never  by  any  chance  carry  my  bag,  I 
should  certainly  leave  it  somewhere;  and  I  don't  like 
to  give  it  to  the  maids  either,  so  I  have  put  all  the  jewels 
in  two  trunks,  scattered  about  the  fond,  wrapped  up  with 
silk  stockings,  etc. 

I  have  given  my  last  instructions  to  Nounou,  and  a 
nice  young  coachman  who  comes  to  replace  Hubert  in 
our  absence,  and  also  provided  a  surprise  for  baby  in  the 
shape  of  a  large  train,  which  will  distract  him  the  first 
days.  We  saw  also  this  morning  the  detective  who  goes 
with  us.  He  is  one  of  those  who  always  accompany  the 
foreign  Princes  who  pass  through  Paris,  and  is  said  to 
know  well  all  the  great  nihilist  leaders  (all  of  whom  he 
says  will  be  at  the  Coronation).  He  has  two  ordi- 
nary policemen  with  him.  They  go  of  course  on  the 
train  with  us,  and  never  lose  sight  of  us.  I  shall  feel 
rather  like  a  distinguished  criminal  being  tracked  across 
Europe. 

Pontecoulant  is  very  funny  over  Philippe  the  coiflfeur, 
who  presented  himself  at  the  Quai  d'Orsay,  and  insisted 
upon  being  included  in  the  suite  (consequently  travelling 
free  of  expense  on  the  special  trains,  etc.,  with  us).  He 
really  isn't  my  coififeur — I  never  have  anyone  except 
Georges  from  time  to  time,  but  I  daresay  I  shall  be  glad 
to  have  him.  He  said  to  Pontecoulant,  "Monsieur  le 
Comte  comprend  bien  qu'il  faut  que  je  pose  le  diademe 
de  Madame  I'Ambassadrice  le  jour  du  Couronnement;" 
however  he  has  gained  his  point,  and  Madame  I'Ambas- 
sadrice takes  her  own  coiffeur  with  her,  as  well  as  her 
two  maids. 

Well,  Dear,  we  are  going  in  an  hour,  and  I  must  try 
and  reason  with  myself,  and  not  be  the  arrant  coward  I 
really  feel  like. 


1883]  ARRIVAL  IN  BERLIN  13 

To  G.  K.  S. 

Kaiserhof,  Berlin, 
Saturday,  May  12th,  1883, 

Here  we  are,  having  accomplished  our  journey  so  far 
most  comfortably.  We  arrived  last  night  about  9,  and 
this  morning  I  am  unpacking  a  little,  and  settling  myself, 
as  we  shall  stay  four  or  five  days.  Our  departure  from 
the  Gare  du  Nord  Thursday  night  was  a  curiosity.  We 
got  rather  early  to  the  station,  as  W.  was  preoccupied 
with  the  baggage,  and  besides  there  were  last  words  to 
say  to  all  the  people  who  came  to  see  us  off.  Henrietta, 
rather  tearful,  came  with  us  to  the  station — Francis  was 
so  engrossed  with  his  new  railway  train  that  was  career- 
ing round  on  beautiful  green  rails  in  his  father's  study, 
that  he  was  quite  indifferent.  The  whole  quai  was  filled 
with  boxes  and  trunks  labelled  ''Waddington,  Moscow," 
and  when  you  think  that  all  the  soldiers  took  their  saddles 
and  trappings  of  all  kinds,  and  what  the  stable  alone 
represented,  2  enormous  gala  carriages,  one  coupe 
d'Orsay,  and  all  the  heavy  harness  and  servants'  liveries, 
you  can  imagine  what  an  excitement  there  was  until 
everything  was  put  on  board. 

We  started,  however,  fairly  punctually — W.  and  I  had 
a  lit-salon,  with  cabinet  de  toilette;  the  two  maids  and 
W.'s  man  next  door,  and  Sesmaisons  and  Frangois  de 
Corcelle  (the  only  two  who  came  with  us,  the  rest  of 
the  Mission  joins  us  Tuesday  at  BerHn),  had  their  coupe 
next  to  ours.  There  were  all  sorts  of  last  directions  to 
be  given  to  Pontecoulant,  and  to  poor  Henrietta,  who 
remains  in  charge  of  Francis. 

I  slept  pretty  well  all  night,  as  you  know  I  am  a  good 
traveller,  and  about  7  Adelaide  came  in  to  arrange  me 
a  little,  as  we  were  to  breakfast  at  Cologne  (where  we 


r4      LETTERS   OF  A   DIPLOMAT'S   WIFE    [Ma^ 

were  due  at  8  o'clock)  with  our  consul  there,  and  also 
the  consul  at  Diisseldorf,  who  is  rather  a  friend  of  W.'s. 
We  had  a  very  good  little  breakfast  in  the  private  room, 
and  when  we  started  again,  the  Chef-de-Gare  coming  at 
the  last  moment  to  conduct  us  to  our  coupe,  there  was 
much  bowing  and  scraping  to  Monsieur  I'Ambassadeur 
and  Mdme.  I'Ambassadrice.  We  made  quite  an  excite- 
ment at  the  station,  and  all  the  people  who  were  com- 
ing and  going  in  the  numerous  trains  that  passed  through 
had  their  heads  out  of  the  windows  to  see  what  was 
going  on.  They  had  filled  our  coupe  with  papers  of  all 
kinds  (German),  illustrated  and  political,  also  a  large 
bouquet  for  me. 

We  dined  at  Hanover,  not  in  a  private  room  this  time, 
but  at  a  round  table  at  one  end  of  the  large  room.  Who 
do  you  think  came  to  see  me?  Mr.  Joy;  he  had  seen  in 
the  papers  that  we  were  to  pass  through,  so  he  took 
himself  down  to  the  station  to  see  if  he  could  see  us. 
I  introduced  him  to  W. — we  had  only  time  for  a  little 
talk,  as  he  came  rather  late.  He  also  brought  papers 
and  a  magazine  or  two,  so  we  are  well  supplied  with 
literature  for  the  present. 

When  we  arrived  here  at  the  station  we  found  M.  de 
Courcel,  our  Ambassador  in  Berlin,  waiting  for  us  with 
all  his  staff.  He  drove  us  at  once  in  his  carriage  to  the 
hotel,  and  said  he  would  come  in  again  an  hour  later 
and  tell  W.  about  his  audiences,  etc.  We  have  beautiful 
rooms,  a  large  salon  looking  on  the  street,  dining-room, 
two  good-sized  bedrooms  and  a  very  good  ante-room 
(where  by  the  way  Pierson,  with  his  chain  and  sword 
and  dress  clothes,  is  already  installed.  When  I  came  out 
of  the  salon  just  now  he  was  there,  and  I  rather  felt  as 
if  I  was  back  at  the  Quai  d'Orsay,  and  he  was  announc- 
ing my  visitors). 


i883]  "UNTER   DEN   LINDEN"  15 

While  we  were  talking  to  Courcel  last  night  one  of 
the  hotel  servants  came  in  to  say — would  I  go  for  one 
moment  to  speak  to  the  maids,  he  couldn't  make  out 
what  they  wanted.  I  did  go,  but  merely  to  tell  these 
ladies  that  I  would  thank  them  to  get  along  as  well  as 
they  could,  and  to  find  a  polygot  waiter,  or  someone  to 
translate  for  them;  that  I  certainly  was  not  going  to 
look  out  for  them,  and  they  had  better  try  and  learn  a 
little  German. 

Courcel  says  the  Emperor,  Prince  Imperial,  and  Bis- 
marck all  want  to  see  W.— he  also  warns  him  that 
Bismarck  is  in  an  execrable  humor.  I  don't  think  W. 
minds  that  very  much.  He  is  a  very  cool  gentleman 
himself,  and  I  imagine  he  will  say  all  he  wants  to  to  the 
great  man. 

10-30. 

W.  and  I  went  for  a  walk  before  breakfast  to  the 
Pariser  Platz  to  see  the  outside  of  the  French  Embassy ; 
it  looks  big  and  imposing.  We  came  home  through 
''Unter  den  Linden."  Berlin  has  much  improved,  and 
has  much  more  the  air  of  a  capital  than  when  I  first  saw 
it  a  great  many  years  ago.  Of  course  I  was  much  struck 
with  the  quantities  of  soldiers  one  sees  in  the  streets. 
The  officers  are  a  fine  lot  of  men,  but,  like  ramrods, 
so  stiff;  and  when  they  are  walking  two  or  three  to- 
gether take  up  the  whole  pavement. 

Sesmaisons  and  Corcelle  breakfasted  with  us— Ses- 
maisons  is  delighted  to  be  back  in  Berlin.  He  was  mili- 
tary attache  there  at  the  time  of  the  Berlin  Congress, 
when  St.  Vallier  was  Ambassador,  and  has  many  friends. 
M.  de  Courcel  came  in  just  as  we  were  finishing,  with 
a  long  list  for  W.,  his  audience  cards,  invitations,  etc. 
Then  came  George  de  Bunsen  with  his  wife  and  daugh- 


i6      LETTERS   OF  A  DIPLOMAT'S   WIFE    [Mav 

ters.  I  had  never  seen  the  ladies  of  the  family,  and 
was  glad  to  make  their  acquaintance.  They  were  very 
friendly,  and  we  made  various  engagements  with  them. 
M.  de  Bunsen  I  had  seen  before  in  France — he  is  quite 
charming,  very  good-looking,  and  not  at  all  Prussian,  so 
cosmopolitan,  which  is  always  most  attractive. 

W.  and  I  went  out  together  and  paid  several  visits,  to 
the  Embassy  first,  where  we  found  Mdme.  de  Courcel. 
The  rooms  are  large  and  handsome,  with  good  pictures 
and  splendid  tapestries.  We  took  a  turn  in  the  Thier- 
garten,  and  the  Jardin  Zoologique  (where  we  saw  an 
enormous  yellow  lion — a  terrible  beast,  handsome,  too). 
W.  then  went  to  see  Hatzfeldt  (Foreign  Minister),  who 
was  very  amiable,  but  said  nothing  in  particular — none 
of  Bismarck's  people  ever  do. 

We  dined  early  at  the  Embassy  with  all  the  per- 
sonnel. The  dinner  was  good  and  handsome,  plenty  of 
servants,  lights,  flowers — everything  in  very  good  style. 
While  the  men  were  smoking  Mdme.  de  Courcel  and  I 
talked.  She  told  me  some  of  her  Berlin  experiences, 
and  how  difficult  her  beginnings  were,  but  I  suppose 
they  always  must  be  until  one  has  had  time  to  look 
around  a  little.  We  have  just  come  home,  and  after 
talking  a  little  with  the  gentlemen  I  have  left  them  to 
their  cigars  and  papers,  and  am  glad  to  be  in  my  own 
quarters. 

The  maids  have  had  a  delightful  afternoon.  They 
have  found  a  gerant  who  speaks  French,  and  who  has 
taken  them  a  little  about  Berlin,  which  they  find  ''tres 
gentil."  W.  has  his  audience  from  the  Emperor  at  one 
o'clock  to-morrow  in  uniform.  None  of  the  ladies.  Em- 
press nor  Princesses,  are  here,  so  I  have  nothing  to  do. 


1883]      AUDIENCE  WITH  THE  EMPEROR         17 

Sunday,  May  13th. 

I  didn't  go  out  this  morning,  but  wrote  and  read. 
The  two  gentlemen  breakfasted  with  us  as  usual,  and  a 
little  before  one  W.  went  off  iov  his  audience  with  the 
Emperor  in  full  uniform,  which  is  very  becoming  to  him. 
(He  hates  it  as  it  is  so  heavy,  with  all  the  thick  gold 
embroidery,  and  he  is  very  hot  and  uncomfortable.) 
The  audience  lasted  about  three-quarters  of  an  hour. 
W.  was  astounded  at  the  Emperor's  appearance  and  con- 
versation, said  he  was  au  courant  of  everything — he  said 
among  other  things — 'Ah,  vous  emmenez  Mme.  Wad- 
dington  a  Moscow?  eh  bien !  moi,  je  n'envoie  pas  mon 
heritier,"  adding  though  immediately  he  didn't  think 
there  was  any  danger  from  the  Nihilists  this  time. 

He  had  barely  time  to  get  home  and  out  of  his  uni- 
form when  Lord  and  Lady  Ampthill  arrived.  They  were 
quite  charming,  both  of  them.  He  and  I  plunged  into 
the  old  Roman  days,  where  we  knew  him  so  well  as 
Odo  Russell.  They  are  great  favourites  here,  both  at 
court  and  with  their  colleagues.  He  spoke  a  great  deal 
about  St.  Vallier,  said  he  was  the  best  colleague  he  had 
ever  had. 

At  four  W.  started  again  to  see  Bismarck  (not  in  uni- 
form this  time),  and  I  drove  out  to  the  George  Bun- 
sens'  to  have  tea.  They  have  a  pretty  house.  Theodore 
was  also  there,  and  we  had  a  pleasant  hour.  They  asked 
us  to  come  in  to-morrow  after  our  dinner  at  the  Em- 
bassy. When  I  got  back  I  found  W.  smoking  in  a  big 
arm-chair,  quite  pleased  with  his  talk  with  Bismarck, 
who  was  most  amiable,  had  at  least  no  "crise  de  nerfs" 
while  he  was  there.  He  said  he  was  very  frank,  almost 
brutal,  in  his  appreciations  of  other  countries,  and  par- 
ticularly of  different  public  men  whose  views  didn't  co- 
incide directly  vith  his,  but  on  the  whole  not  too  offen- 


1 8      LETTERS   OF  A   DIPLOMAT'S   WIFE    [May 

sive.  He  kept  him  until  his  dinner  was  announced  (at 
5  o'clock),  and  asked  him  to  come  and  see  him  on  his 
way  back  from  Moscow,  and  give  him  his  impressions; 
so  apparently  it  is  only  from  his  own  agents  that  he 
doesn't  wish  impressions.  Do  you  remember  C.  writing 
to  him,  from  the  Hague,  I  think,  the  account  of  some 
manifestation  or  political  crisis,  and  naturally  saying  what 
he  thought  about  the  matter;  and  the  very  curt  answer 
he  received  from  the  Minister,  saying  he  had  asked  for 
facts,  and  not  for  "personal  appreciations."  One  would 
think  that  the  opinion  of  the  most  ordinary  agent  on 
the  spot  would  have  a  certain  importance. 


Tuesday,  15th. 

It  is  very  warm — I  have  been  out  with  Adelaide  trying 
to  get  a  light  blouse,  my  cloth  body  is  unbearable. 
Everything  was  shut  yesterday,  as  it  w^as  Whit  Monday. 
W.  dined  at  the  Palace  at  5,  Sesmaisons  also.  I  went  to 
the  races  with  Mdme.  de  Courcel  and  some  of  the  young 
men.  It  was  rather  amusing,  a  lovely  day,  about  three 
quarters  of  an  hour  by  train  from  Berlin.  The  public 
was  not  nearly  so  elegant  as  on  a  Paris  race-course,  but 
there  were  more  pretty  women,  and  quantities  of  stiff, 
arrogant  officers  (always  en  tenue). 

When  we  got  back  to  the  hotel  at  7.30  we  found  W. 
at  the  door,  just  back  from  his  dinner,  so  Frangois  de 
Corcelle  and  I  dined  tete-a-tete,  and  W.  talked  to  us 
— said  the  dinner  was  good,  small  and  easy.  The  Prince 
Imperial  and  Grand  Duchess  of  Baden  were  both  there. 
The  Grand  Duchess  told  W.  that  in  a  telegram  received 
that  morning  from  her  mother  (the  Empress  Augusta) 
she  had  said  how  much  she  regretted  not  seeing  him, 
that  she  had  always  watched  his  career  with  great  inter- 


1883]  AT  THE  FRENCH  EMBASSY  19 

est,  and  was  very  glad  to  see  him  coming  to  the  front 
again. 

The  Emperor  talked  about  everything — France;  Eng- 
land; the  religious  question  in  France;  he  believed  French 
women  of  all  classes  were  clerical,  and  under  the  influ- 
ence of  the  priests,  so  naturally  they  could  have  no 
sympathy  with  a  liberal  government,  "which  is  a  pity,  it 
is  a  mistake  to  have  the  women  against  you."  We  had 
an  audience  with  the  Prince  Imperial  after  dinner,  which 
was  pleasant,  but  absolutely  commonplace.  He  and  all 
the  Princes  wxre  in  uniform,  petite  tenue. 

We  finished  our  evening  at  the  Bunsens',  which  was 
pleasant.  W.  was  very  glad  to  have  a  quiet  talk  with 
M.  de  Bunsen,  who  is  most  attractive,  such  a  charming 
manner.  This  evening  we  have  dined  as  usual  at  the 
French  Embassy  with  quite  a  party,  including  Bleich- 
roeder,  an  Israelite  banker,  bras  droit  of  Bismarck,  and 
therefore  interesting.  We  came  early,  as  all  the  rest  of 
our  Mission  arrived  to-night  at  9  o'clock,  and  we  wanted 
to  see  them.  They  all  came  up  after  supper,  looking 
most  cheerful,  had  had  a  very  pleasant  journey,  rather 
warm  in  the  middle  of  the  day,  and  were  quite  game 
to  see  all  they  can  of  Berlin  to-morrow,  as  we  go  on  to 
Warsaw  to-morrow  night. 

Wednesday,  May  i6th. 

We  are  starting  this  evening.  Dear,  so  I  will  scratch  a 
few  lines  to  finish  this  very  long  epistle,  and  will  send  it 
from  here.  It  is  still  very  warm.  I  went  out  to  see 
some  of  the  pictures  (how  beautiful  the  Velasquez  are) 
and  the  marbles  of  Pergamos,  and  Pontecoulant  and  I 
breakfasted  together  at  the  hotel ;  W.  and  Richard  at  the 
George  Bunsens',  who  really  have  been  as  friendly  and 
hospitable  as  possible.     After  breakfast  we  had  various 


20      LETTERS   OF  A  DIPLOMAT'S   WIFE    [Mav 

visits,  and  then  Pontecoulant,  Corcelle  and  I  went  for  a 
last  drive  in  the  Thier-Garten.  I  hoped  we  should  meet 
either  the  Emperor  (I  have  never  seen  him)  or  the  Prince 
Imperial,  but  we  didn't.  There  were  plenty  of  people 
riding  and  driving,  as  it  was  the  fashionable  day  "Corso.'* 
We  saw  the  Princess  Frederick  Charles  in  an  open  car- 
riage with  four  horses,  and  a  piqueur  in  front.  The  Court 
liveries  are  handsome,  but  sombre,  black  and  silver. 
Everybody  bowed  and  curtseyed,  the  officers  saluting 
de  front. 

We  went  round  by  the  Zoo  to  show  Pontecoulant  the 
big  lion.  Pontecoulant  was  most  amusing  over  their 
journey,  and  said  he  was  nearly  driven  out  of  his  mind 
the  day  before  they  started  with  all  the  people  who  came 
to  see  him.  He  says  Philippe,  the  coiffeur,  has  never  left 
him,  that  it  won't  be  his  fault  if  my  diadem  is  not  per- 
fectly pose,  and  that  he  plied  him  with  beer  all  along  the 
route.  He  is  here  supping  and  living  at  the  hotel  with 
all  our  suite,  and  sent  word  to  me  this  morning  that 
he  was  at  my  disposition  to  make  me  a  "coififure  de  cir- 
constance"  for  the  night  journey.  What  do  you  suppose 
it  would  have  been? 

Pontecoulant  had  seen  Henrietta  and  Francis  the  day 
he  left,  and  had  left  orders  at  the  Foreign  Ofifice  that  the 
Havas  telegrams  which  will  keep  her  au  courant  of  our 
movements  shall  always  be  sent  to  her.  All  the  per- 
sonnel except  W.  and  me  dine  at  the  Embassy  to-night. 

I  am  not  sorry  to  have  a  quiet  evening.     We  leave  at 

II  to-night,  and  get  to  Alexandrownow  about  7.30  to- 
morrow. That  is  the  Russian  frontier,  and  there  we 
shall  have  some  sort  of  official  reception. 

W.  has  been  riding  these  last  two  days  with  Sancy, 
the  military  attache,  and  that  always  does  him  good. 
I  couldn't  find  any  sort  of  silk  blouse,  so  I  trust  it  won't 


1883]  DEPARTURE  FROM  BERLIN  21 

be  very  warm  travelling  to-night.  When  we  cross  the 
frontier  I  shall  feel  as  if  our  journey  had  begun.  Here 
we  have  lived  so  with  the  Embassy  that  I  hardly  feel  as 
if  I  was  abroad,  only  the  cadre  is  different,  and  the 
Prussian  uniforms  a  disagreeable  reminder.  I  don't 
think  it  is  an  easy  post  to  be  Ambassador  here,  and  I 
should  think  M.  de  Courcel's  succession  would  be  a  very 
difficult  one.  He  knows  German  well,  and  has  always 
lived  with  diplomatists,  but  if  they  send  a  political 
man,  I  think  he  will  have  a  hard  time;  though  as  Bis- 
marck said  to  W.  when  they  were  talking  about  any 
possible  war  in  Europe — ''J^  desire  la  paix,  je  suis  un 
homme  satisfait,"  which  wasn't  very  pleasant  for  the 
French  Ambassador  to  hear,  as  I  suppose  what  has 
largely  contributed  to  his  satisfaction  is  the  possession 
of  Alsace-Lorraine. 

We  have  had  our  dinner,  and  W.  smoked  on  the  bal- 
cony, and  we  saw  all  the  gentleman-servants,  omnibuses 
and  baggage  start.  We  shall  only  go  just  in  time  to 
have  5  minutes  talk  on  the  platform  with  M.  de  Courcel, 
who  is  coming  to  say  good-by.  The  gerant  of  the  hotel 
has  just  been  up  to  hope  we  were  satisfied — would  we 
telegraph  when  we  came  back,  as  of  course  he  would 
give  us  the  same  rooms,  and  presented  me  with  a  large 
bouquet. 

Did  I  say  that  the  Malagache  Embassy  was  at  the 
hotel,  on  the  same  floor  with  us.  Every  time  I  go  down 
the  corridor  I  see  two  or  three  tall,  dark  men,  dressed 
in  white  flowing  garments  and  white  turbans,  who  make 
me  low  salaams.  They  are  not  going  to  the  "Kronung," 
as  they  call  it  here. 

My  next  letter  will  be  from  Warsaw,  where  we  should 
arrive  at  4  to-morrow  afternoon. 


22      LETTERS   OF  A  DIPLOMAT'S   WIFE    [Mav 


To  H.  L,  K. 

H6tel  de  l'Europe,  Varsovie, 
Thursday,  May  17th,  1883. 

Here  we  are,  Dear,  having  arrived  from  Berlin  at  3.30 
this  afternoon.  We  started  at  11 — it  was  very  hot  even 
at  that  hour  of  the  night,  and  the  coupe-Ht  stuffy  and 
uncomfortable.  M.  de  Courcel  and  all  his  staff  were  at 
the  station  to  see  us  off,  and  the  two  Embassies  united 
made  quite  a  gathering.  I  had  a  little  talk  with  Princess 
Guillaume  Radziwill,  who  is  starting  for  the  Coronation. 
It  seems  she  has  splendid  jewels,  and  was  rather  bothered 
to  know  how  to  carry  them.  She  has  got  them  all  on, 
in  little  leather  bags  around  her  waist,  and  she  thinks 
she  won't  be  very  comfortable  all  night,  with  pins, 
brooches,  etc.,  running  into  her.  She  was  horrified  when 
I  told  her  where  mine  were. 

The  night  was  long,  we  were  not  very  comfortable, 
and  the  gentlemen  were  decidedly  squeezed  in  one  little 
carriage.  We  stopped  somewhere,  I  don't  remember 
the  name,  about  6.  The  men  all  got  out  and  had  coffee. 
I  didn't  move,  but  they  sent  me  in  a  cup.  We  got  to 
Alexandrownow,  the  Russian  frontier,  about  8.  The 
station  had  a  decidedly  festive  appearance — flags,  greens, 
soldiers,  music,  etc.  They  were  evidently  preparing  a 
salute  and  a  national  anthem  of  some  kind.  We  all 
thought  it  was  for  us,  and  were  proceeding  to  emerge  to 
the  strains  of  the  "Marseillaise,"  when  we  heard  the 
''Wacht-am-Rhein."  It  seems  there  was  a  Hessian 
Prince,  nephew  of  the  Emperor,  on  board,  who  was  also 
going  to  the  Coronation,  so  we  rentreed  our  heads,  and 
remained  quietly  in  our  carriages  until  they  had  disposed 
of  him. 


1883]  ON  THE  RUSSIAN  FRONTIER  23 

Then  came  our  turn.  We  were  received  with  all 
ceremony — a  tall  Russian  officer  took  charge  of  me,  say- 
ing, in  very  good  French,  he  was  sure  I  would  like  to 
brush  off  the  dust,  and  have  some  tea,  etc.  He  took  me 
upstairs  to  a  very  nice  room,  where  a  little  maid  was 
waiting  with  hot  water,  towels,  brushes,  tea,  and  little 
rolls.  I  took  off  my  dress  to  have  it  brushed,  and  while 
I  was  standing  in  my  petticoats  several  gentlemen  came 
to  the  door  (which  wouldn't  shut),  and  made  various  per- 
fectly unintelligible  remarks  to  me.  The  little  maid 
laughed  and  made  signs,  and  carried  off  my  dress,  which 
I  thought  was  dangerous — however  I  couldn't  say  any- 
thing, so  I  put  myself  behind  the  door,  and  Adelaide 
arranged  my  hair;  and  I  was  just  thinking  of  having  a 
cup  of  tea  when  the  maid  reappeared  with  my  dress, 
accompanied  by  another  officer,  who  told  me  in  French, 
from  the  other  side  of  the  door,  that  his  Royal  High- 
ness of  Hesse  hoped  I  would  do  him  the  honour  of 
breakfasting  with  him.  I  said  I  would  come  with  pleas- 
sure,  but  begged  they  wouldn't  wait,  as  I  was  not  quite 
ready.  As  soon  as  I  was  dressed  I  sallied  out,  found 
my  officer  waiting,  who  conducted  me  to  a  private  room, 
where  were  the  Prince  and  his  party,  including  W.  and  a 
Russian  general,  who  had  been  sent  from  Varsovie  to 
meet  the  Hessian  Prince. 

They  were  all  at  table — the  Prince  put  me  next  to  him, 
introduced  the  Russian  general  and  all  his  suite,  and  we 
had  rather  a  pleasant  hour.  We  had  excellent  tea  in 
glasses  (the  first  time  I  ever  saw  it),  delicious  little  rolls, 
eggs,  and  cold  meat.  The  Prince  is  a  tall,  broad- 
shouldered,  good-natured  German,  speaking  French 
quite  well. 

We  had  the  same  ceremony  at  starting,  first  the 
"Wacht-am-Rhein"  for  the  Germans,  then  the  "Marseil- 


24      LETTERS   OF  A  DIPLOMAT'S   WIFE    [May 

laise"  for  us.  The  journey  was  not  particularly  interest- 
ing from  the  frontier  here,  but  Varsovie  itself  most 
curious.  We  found  the  same  bustle  and  preparation  at 
the  station  here — the  Governor  of  Varsovie,  and  Prefet 
de  Police  en  tenue,  and  our  Consul,  M.  Berard. 

We  drove  at  once  to  the  hotel,  looked  at  our  rooms, 
which  are  comfortable,  and  started  again  for  a  little  drive 
through  the  town  before  dinner.  Anything  so  unHke 
the  cities  one  has  been  accustomed  to  see  can't  be  im- 
agined, long,  straggling  streets,  enormous  spaces,  many 
houses  tumbling  down,  and  abominable  pavement,  deep 
holes,  and  paving  stones  as  big  as  ordinary  rocks — why 
the  carriage  ever  got  along  was  a  mystery  to  us  all. 
The  Russian  coachman,  a  perfect  type  with  his  long 
caftan  and  flat  cap.  Why  the  horses  remain  attached 
to  the  carriage  is  a  problem,  as  they  apparently  have  no 
harness  of  any  description.  I  used  to  think  w^e  didn't 
use  much  in  America.  Will  you  ever  forget  Coligny's 
face  at  Oyster  Bay  when  we  started  trotting  down  hill 
without  any  breeching? 

There  were  quantities  of  dirty  Polish  Jews  in  every 
direction,  all  with  their  long  caftans,  greasy,  black  curls, 
and  ear-rings.  I  had  time  to  rest  a  little  before  dinner. 
We  all  dined  together,  also  Berard  the  Consul,  all  the 
men  in  their  dress  clothes,  and  I  in  my  grey  moire  with 
white  lace,  and  a  big,  black  velvet  bow,  one  string  of 
pearls  which  I  had  on  under  my  corsage.  Pontecoulant, 
who  is  the  next  man  to  W.,  took  me  in,  and  I  had  General 
Pittie  on  the  other  side.  The  dinner  was  handsome  and 
well  served.  Pontecoulant  had  attended  to  that  while 
we  were  driving  about. 

After  dinner  the  men  all  went  ofif  to  the  theatre  in  the 
Governor's  box  to  see  a  famous  ballet.  I  was  rather 
tired,  and  as  we  start  again  to-morrow,  and  have  two 


1883]  A  POLISH  CHATEAU  25 

nights  in  the  train,  I  sha'n't  mind  going  to  bed  early.  I 
was  interrupted,  as  we  have  had  a  visit,  pleasant  enough, 
from  Mavrocordato  (Greek),  who  is  also  on  his  way  to 
Moscow  to  represent  his  country,  and  now  I  am  going  to 
bed.  We  leave  to-morrow  at  4,  and  I  will  try  and  write 
a  little  en  route.  They  say  I  can  probably,  as  the 
Russian  roads  (railroads)  are  smooth,  and  they  go  very 
slowly. 

Friday,  2  o'clock. 

I  will  go  on  a  little  and  send  this  letter  also  from  here. 
We  had  an  expedition  this  morning  to  one  of  the 
chateaux  belonging  to  some  member  of  the  Sobieski 
family,  or  rather  belonging  to  a  Potocki  quelconque, 
where  there  are  many  souvenirs  of  Sobieski.  I  never  was 
on  such  a  villainous  pavement  (they  tell  me  Moscow  is 
worse),  and  the  road  long  and  straight  through  flat 
country,  not  very  interesting.  The  chateau  was  full  of 
pictures  and  bibelots  of  all  kinds,  and  every  possible  sou- 
venir of  Sobieski,  flags,  swords,  snuff-boxes,  etc.,  and 
quite  worth  seeing.  I  enjoyed  the  outing,  as  everything 
was  absolutely  unique,  carriages,  costumes,  carts,  people, 
language,  houses,  a  poor  tumble-down  little  hovel  next 
to  a  great  palace  with  gates  and  courts  and  gardens. 

We  lunched  again  with  all  the  Embassy,  and  then  I 
went  to  see  what  was  happening  to  the  maids.  I  had 
left  them  in  such  a  dejected  condition  on  the  landing 
when  I  went  out.  They  couldn't  get  hold  of  any  ser- 
vant (couldn't  make  them  understand  when  they  did), 
couldn't  get  my  boots  or  travelling  skirt,  or  hot  water, 
or  anything,  in  fact.  The  hotel  is  full  of  people,  all 
starting  this  afternoon,  and  there  is  a  fine  confusion,  but 
they  really  must  learn  to  get  along  without  all  modern 
conveniences. 


26      LETTERS   OF  A  DIPLOMAT'S   WIFE    [May 

Entre  Varsovie  et  Moscou, 


en  wagon,  Samedi  soir,  19. 

I  will  try  and  write  a  little,  Dear,  while  we  are  stop- 
ping at  Smolensk  for  tea.  It  is  rather  difficult  svhen  we 
are  moving  (though  we  go  slowly)  as  you  will  see  by  the 
writing,  as  the  train  shakes  a  great  deal.  As  soon  as  it 
stops  we  all  tumble  out,  are  received  by  railway  officials 
in  uniform,  and  conveyed  to  a  private  room  decorated 
with  greens  and  flags,  where  most  elaborate  repasts  are 
provided.  We  got  ofif  from  Varsovie  yesterday  most 
comfortably  about  4  o'clock.  Various  officials,  our  Con- 
sul Berard,  were  at  the  station  to  see  us  of¥,  and  an 
engineer  of  the  company,  who  goes  with  us  to  Moscow 
to  interpret  and  look  after  us  generally.  The  train  is 
most  luxurious — for  W.  and  me  one  long  saloon  car- 
riage lined  with  grey  satin,  and  with  every  variety  of 
easy  chair,  sofa,  table,  writing-table,  lamp,  etc.  Flow- 
ers on  one  of  the  tables  and  maps  of  the  route  on  an- 
other. Communicating  with  it  and  directly  behind  are 
two  bedrooms  for  us — mine  is  capitonne  in  blue  satin, 
a  very  good-sized  bed,  glass,  chairs,  table,  etc.,  also  a 
dressing-room  with  every  modern  convenience.  W.'s  is 
grey  satin,  equally  comfortable,  with  dressing-room,  bath, 
etc. — behind  these  again  a  coupe  for  the  maids — then  a 
long  carriage  for  the  rest  of  the  Mission  with  chairs, 
tables,  etc,  and  small  coupes.  The  engineer  showed  us 
all  the  arrangements,  hoped  we  were  satisfied,  and  also 
told  us  that  two  employes  would  be  stationed  at  each 
end  of  our  carriage  always  for  whatever  we  might  want. 

We  got  ofT  fairly  punctually.  I  wonder  if  I  shall  ever 
see  Varsovie  again.  We  stopped  somewhere  about 
5.30,  and  found  a  charming  little  tea  waiting  for  us  in  a 
private  room,  served  of  course  in  glasses  with  pieces  of 


1883]  EN  ROUTE  TO  MOSCOW  27 

lemon,  and  excellent  rolls  and  cakes.  There  we  fra- 
ternized with  the  Dutch  Mission,  who  are  also  on  the 
train.  M.  Schimmelpenninck,  a  tall,  stylish-looking  man, 
with  his  son  and  gendre.  The  young  men  had  recog- 
nized W.,  having  seen  him  at  the  Congres  de  Berlin;  so 
they  recalled  themselves,  and  we  made  friends.  We 
agreed  to  take  all  our  meals  together,  and  as  apparently 
we  shall  have  about  6  in  the  day  we  shall  probably  see  a 
good  deal  of  each  other. 

We  had  rather  a  pleasant  evening,  dined  (very  well) 
at  Brest,  always  the  same  ceremonial;  and  after  dinner 
some  of  the  gentlemen  came  and  paid  us  visits.  We 
talked  of  course  about  "La  Grande  Armee"  and  Napo- 
leon's campaigns,  as  we  are  passing  over  the  same  ground 
that  they  followed.  The  two  moujiks  at  the  doors  are 
most  attentive  and  intelligent;  as  soon  as  they  hear  any 
noise  in  our  carriage,  opening  or  shutting  a  window,  or 
anything  falling  (some  of  the  heavy  books  slipped  off  a 
table  just  now),  they  seem  to  divine  it,  and  appear  in- 
stantly and  ask,  I  suppose,  what  we  want.  We  have  no 
means  of  communication,  but  they  evidently  understand. 

I  was  very  comfortable  last  night  in  my  little  blue 
room,  and  had  been  sleeping  quietly,  when  I  seemed  to 
divine  that  someone  had  come  in.  I  didn't  stir,  and 
half  opened  my  eyes,  and  for  a  moment  was  rather 
startled.  The  lamp,  shaded,  was  burning,  and  in  came 
one  of  the  moujiks  quite  quietly.  He  moved  very 
softly  about  the  room,  rather  an  appalling  figure,  with 
his  high  boots,  fur  cap,  and  curious  half-savage  face 
(gentle  too),  touched  door  and  windows,  fussed  over  the 
lamp,  drew  the  curtain  of  the  dressing-room  a  little 
closer  to  keep  out  any  draught  (didn't  come  up  to  the 
bed),  and  went  out  again  just  as  quietly.  It  was  a 
curious  experience,  flying  through  the  darkness  of  the 


28      LETTERS   OF  A  DIPLOMAT'S   WIFE    [May 

night,  and  wakening  to  see  that  strange  figure  prowling 
about. 

About  7,  I  think,  in  the  morning  he  reappeared,  this 
time  standing  at  the  door,  and  making  many  perfectly 
unintelligible  remarks.  It  was  so  evident  I  didn't  under- 
stand that  he  smiled,  made  a  despairing  gesture  with  his 
hand,  and  disappeared.  As  I  was  quite  sure  he  would 
come  back  I  got  up  and  fastened  the  door.  In  a  few 
moments  I  heard  a  colloquy  outside,  and  then  the  voice 
of  the  engineer  asking  when  I  would  like  my  maid  and 
my  tea — also  saying  they  would  stop  in  about  an  hour 
for  early  breakfast,  and  that  mine  and  the  Ambassador's 
would  be  brought  to  our  carriage. 

I  asked  to  have  the  maid  at  once — so  Adelaide  ap- 
peared with  hot  water  and  a  cup  of  tea,  and  I  dressed 
as  comfortably  as  if  I  was  in  my  dressing-room  at  the 
Rue  Dumont  d'Urville.  As  soon  as  I  was  ready  I  went 
into  the  big  carriage,  which  looked  very  nice  and  clean, 
had  been  swept  and  dusted,  window-panes  washed  (Ade- 
laide saw  the  men  doing  it)  ;  a  very  nice  little  break- 
fast tray  was  brought,  tea,  every  variety  of  good  little 
rolls,  and  some  fish.  We  contented  ourselves  with  the 
rolls,  didn't  experiment  upon  the  fish.  The  table  was 
close  to  the  window — all  the  gentlemen  came  up  and 
talked  to  us,  and  as  usual  there  were  quantities  of  people 
about. 

We  have  passed  through  most  desolate  country,  miles 
of  plains,  with  scarcely  any  traces  of  human  habitation. 
The  cottages  are  very  few  and  far  between — generally  a 
collection  of  litttle  wood  hovels,  or  ''isbas,"  as  they  are 
called.  We  go  long  distances  without  seeing  houses, 
fences,  gates,  or  even  a  road.  At  all  the  stations  there 
are  people — the  big  ones  crowded — and  at  the  smaller 
ones,  where  we  hardly  stop,  merely  slacken,  peasants — 


1883]  RECALLING  NAPOLEON  49 

and  such  objects,  one  can  hardly  tell  the  men  from  the 
women;  long,  unkempt  hair,  all  barefooted,  and  all  wear- 
ing a  sort  of  fur  garment  with  a  hole  in  the  middle  to  pass 
the  head  through,  and  which  falls  low  down  to  their 
knees. 

We  have  just  had  tea  at  Smolensk,  which  is  very 
Russian  looking,  with  gilded  domes  and  pink  and  green 
painted  roofs.  The  gentlemen  are  smoking  and  walking 
up  and  down  the  platform,  always  exciting  great  atten- 
tion. There  are  two  rather  pretty  girls,  with  fair  hair 
and  red  blouses,  who  are  giggling  and  looking,  and  evi- 
dently wish  to  be  remarked. 

We  have  gone  on  again  now  and  are  settled  for  the 
evening.  The  carriage  looks  so  comfortable,  curtains 
drawn,  lamps  lighted,  flowers  on  the  tables,  and  quanti- 
ties of  books  and  maps.  Sesmaisons  and  Corcelle  have 
just  been  in  with  their  maps  and  Napoleon's  Memoirs. 
It  is  most  interesting  to  follow  it  all.  They  read  out  bits 
here  and  there  as  we  passed  through  some  well-known 
locality.  At  the  Beresina,  I  think,  where  the  passage  of 
the  river  was  so  awful — some  of  the  men  quite  exhausted, 
and  yet  not  wanting  to  lie  down  on  the  snow%  made  them- 
selves seats  out  of  the  dead  bodies  of  their  comrades. 
What  an  awful  retreat ! 

We  have  crossed  the  Beresina,  where  we  saw  a  long 
procession  of  wood  rafts.  They  are  of  the  most  primi- 
tive description — long  logs  lashed  together,  and  in  the 
middle  a  sort  of  cabin  or  hovel,  where  the  women  and 
children  live.  They  were  floating  slowly  down  with  the 
tide  as  we  passed,  and  singing  a  sort  of  sad,  monotonous 
chaunt,  which  sounded  weird  and  pathetic,  but  impres- 
sionnant.  They  say  all  the  Russian  National  songs  have 
that  undercurrent  of  sadness. 

Our  dinner  to-night  was  very  gay.    Schimmelpenninck 


30      LETTERS   OF  A   DIPLOMAT'S   WIFE    [Mai 

is  most  attractive.  We  have  become  great  friends — -I 
have  even  confided  to  him  v^here  my  jewels  are,  as  he 
thought  I  had  left  a  bag  in  one  of  the  stations,  and 
w^as  convinced  it  held  my  diamonds.  I  told  him  what 
dress  I  was  going  to  wear  at  the  Coronation,  also  my 
difficulty  in  finding  out  what  the  French  Court  dress 
was.  The  Empress  never  wore  a  regular  Court  train 
— her  presentations  in  the  Tuileries  were  always  in  the 
evening,  in  ordinary  ball  dress.  I  didn't  think  Queen 
Marie  Amelie's  would  have  been  very  pretty,  so  we 
concocted  a  Court  dress  from  pictures,  other  people's 
souvenirs,  etc. 

I  w^as  glad  to  walk  up  and  down  a  little — one  gets 
cramped  sitting  so  long,  even  with  our  outings  for  food, 
which  are  frequent.  The  tea  is  extremely  good  always, 
a  sort  of  greenish  flavour,  but  very  delicate,  and  I  should 
think  very  strong.  Pontecoulant  show^ed  me  Monsieur 
Philippe  in  the  distance,  talking  and  gesticulating,  evi- 
dently considering  himself  a  most  important  feature  oi 
the  Mission — also  the  detective,  who  looks  like  an  ami- 
able well-to-do  bourgeois  travelling  for  his  pleasure,  until 
you  meet  his  eyes,  and  there  is  a  quick,  keen  look  which 
tells  you  he  is  very  much  on  the  alert.  He  has  again 
just  given  W.  the  pleasing  piece  of  information  that  all 
the  well-known  Nihilist  leaders  will  be  at  Moscow. 

Hubert  came  up  and  says  the  horses  are  quite  well — 
their  rest  at  Berlin  did  them  good.  He  is  very  much 
impressed  with  the  absolute  solitude  of  the  country — 
"pas  de  villages — pas  de  barrieres,  pas  meme  de  chem- 
ins."  We  have  also  a  telegram  from  M.  Lhermite  saying 
the  house  is  quite  in  order,  he  and  his  cooks  and  attend- 
ants installed,  and  he  will  have  breakfast  ready  for  us  to- 
morrow morning.  We  arrive  about  8.  We  must  be  ready 
early,  as  they  say  the  approach  to  Moscow  is  very  fine. 


1883]  APPROACHING  MOSCOW  31 

It  stands  low  In  a  plain,  but  one  sees  the  gilt  domes  and 
coloured  steeples  from  a  great  distance. 

Our  engineer  tells  us  the  railway  officials  are  out  of 
their  minds.  He  says  the  special  envoys — Princes  par- 
ticularly— change  their  minds  and  their  routes  all  the 
time.  They  all  have  special  trains,  and  the  confusion 
will  be  something  awful.  The  Hessian  Prince  is  just 
ahead  of  us.  We  haven't  crossed  many  trains,  and  yet 
there  must  be  frequent  communication  between  Varsovie 
and  Moscow. 

I  still  feel  rather  in  a  dream,  but  not  tired.  I  must 
stop  now  as  it  is  nearly  eleven — my  next  letter  will  be 
from  Maison  Klein,  Malaia  Dimitrofska,  Moscow.  Rich- 
ard came  in  just  now,  and  we  have  been  talking  over  our 
future — Russia  is  a  "terra  incognita"  to  all  of  us.  It  has 
been  certainly  most  novel  and  interesting  so  far.  Just 
now  we  stopped  for  a  few  moments  at  a  little  station, 
quite  alive  with  people  and  lights,  as  of  course  trains 
are  going  all  night.  The  people  look  so  different — 
generally  fair,  with  flat  features,  and  a  repressed  look,  as 
if  they  had  always  been  kept  down. 

This  long  effusion  will  go  early  to-morrow  morning, 
as  they  send  off  a  valise  at  once  from  Moscow. 

To  H.  L.  K, 

Ambassade  de  France,  Moscow, 

Maison  Klein,  Malaia  Dimitrofska, 

Monday,  May  21st,  1883. 

We  arrived  quite  safely  and  comfortably  yesterday 
morning — 34  people,  counting  servants,  policemen,  etc. 
I  hadn't  time  to  write,  but  you  will  have  had  the  Havas 
telegram  announcing  our  arrival.  I  am  writing  in  my 
little  boudoir,  which  looks  on  a  large,  square,  light  court- 


32      LETTERS   OF  A   DIPLOMAT'S   WIFE    [Mav 

yard,  and  I  wish  you  could  see  the  wild  confusion  that 
reigns  there.  Quantities  of  boxes  and  ''ballots"  of  every 
description.  Mdme.  Hubert,  with  a  veil  tied  over  her 
head,  struggling  to  get  at  some  of  my  trunks,  which  are 
all  marked  with  an  enormous  M.  K.  W.  in  white  letters 
(a  private  mark,  so  as  not  to  confound  them  with  the 
general  mark  of  the  Mission).  Leroy,  Hubert,  and 
Pontecoulant  trying  to  get  the  big  carriage  cases  opened 
(they  look  Hke  small  houses).  Sesmaisons  and  Calmon 
fussing  over  their  saddles,  which  they  apparently  had  got 
without  much  difficulty — quantities  of  Russian  helpers 
working,  talking,  but  tiat  loud,  nor  yelling  to  each  other. 
How  anything  will  ever  come  out  of  all  that  chaos  I  don*t 
know. 

Howevei*,  I  must  begin  at  the  beginning.  We  got 
here  about  8.30  yesterday  morning.  We  were  all  up 
early,  as  the  country  grew  more  interesting  as  we  ap- 
proached Moscow.  We  had  a  confused  vision  of  gilt 
domes,  high  coloured  steeples,  etc.,  but  nothing  stood 
but  very  distinctly.  There  was  a  fine  confusion  at  the  sta- 
tion— quantities  of  officials,  all  in  uniform,  detachments 
of  soldiers,  red  carpets,  etc.  We  were  not  received 
officially,  not  being  Princes.  The  Mission  only  exists 
here  after  they  have  presented  their  lettres  de  creance. 
We  found  our  consul,  Lagrene,  waiting  for  us,  several 
members  of  the  French  Colony,  and  Lhermite.  We 
drove  off  at  once  to  our  Ambassade.  The  main  street, 
Tverskaya,  looked  very  gay  with  quantities  of  flags  and 
draperies  in  every  direction,  and  even  at  that  time  in  the 
morning  a  great  many  people.  Our  house  looks  well — 
the  entrance  isn't  bad,  and  the  staircase  marble,  hand- 
some. I  hardly  looked  at  the  reception-rooms,  as  I  was 
anxious  to  get  to  mine.  Lhermite  had  done  them  very 
well,   quite  as  I  wanted,  and  a  nice-looking  woman, 


i883l  MAISON  KLEIN  33 

Russian  of  course,  the  femme  de  charge  left  in  the  house, 
was  there  to  see  if  everything  was  right. 

I  washed  off  a  Httle  dust,  got  a  cup  of  tea,  and  then 
went  with  W.  and  Pontecoulant  to  inspect  the  house. 
The  ballroom,  "serre,"  and  3  drawing-rooms  are  nice; 
the  dining-room  small  in  comparison  and  low.  Not  a 
breath  of  air  anywhere,  double  windows,  hermetically 
sealed,  with  one  pane  opening  in  each;  so  the  very  first 
thing  we  did  was  to  send  for  someone  to  take  down  the 
extra  window,  and  open  everything  wide — the  close 
smell  was  something  awful.  The  femme  de  charge  was 
astounded,  and  most  unwilling.  I  think  she  thought  we 
wished  to  demolish  the  whole  establishment.  W.  has  a 
large  room  opening  out  of  the  drawing-room.  Ponte- 
coulant took  charge  of  the  distribution  of  the  gentle- 
men's rooms  (which  wasn't  easy,  as  they  were  generally 
small,  and  not  particularly  comfortable,  but  I  must  say 
they  were  all  easy  going,  and  not  at  all  inclined  to  make 
difficulties).  He  chose  a  room  down-stairs  for  himself 
next  the  Chancellerie,  which  he  has  arranged  at  once 
very  well.  The  ballroom  is  handsome,  a  parquet  floor, 
and  yellow  satin  furniture;  the  other  drawing-rooms  too 
are  well  furnished  in  silk  and  satin.  The  dining-room  is 
small,  but  the  serre  will  make  a  very  good  fumoir  where 
the  gentlemen  can  sit  and  smoke.  It  has  nice  cane  arm- 
chairs and  tables,  and  will  be  a  resource. 

I  went  back  to  my  own  rooms  and  arranged  my 
affairs  with  the  maids.  There  is  a  large  room,  half 
lingerie,  half  debarras,  upstairs,  with  good  placards  and 
closets  where  I  can  put  my  dresses  if  I  ever  get  hold  of 
them.  They  must  be  unpacked  at  once,  particularly  the 
velvet  dresses.  Of  course  I  am  always  at  the  window. 
My  Dear,  how  it  would  amuse  you,  so  absolutely  unlike 
anything  you  have  ever  seen. 


34      LETTERS   OF  A  DIPLOMAT'S   WIFE    [Mav 

The  men  seem  to  work  well  enough — they  all  wear 
red  flannnel  shirts  tucked  into  their  trousers,  and  high 
boots — at  the  present  moment  they  are  all  gaping  at 
the  horses,  who  certainly  do  look  enormous  (the 
Russian  horses  are  all  small).  It  seems  ours  stand  the 
cannon,  and  shouting,  and  waving  flags  and  draperies 
very  well  (so  the  lessons  in  the  Ecole  Militaire,  where 
they  were  taken  several  times  after  they  arrived  in  Paris 
to  have  cannons  and  guns  fired  close  to  their  heads,  and 
flags  waved  about,  did  them  good). 

A  little  Russian  maid,  in  a  red  petticoat,  and  a  blue 
handkerchief  tied  over  her  head,  has  just  appeared,  and 
I  suppose  will  be  a  sort  of  fille  de  chambre.  She  smiles 
every  time  I  speak  to  the  maids,  and  watches  every 
movement  I  make.  I  moved  a  fauteuil  just  now,  and  in 
an  instant  she  had  possession  of  it,  and  stood  over  it 
looking  at  me  hard  to  see  where  I  wanted  it  put.  I 
daresay  we  shall  get  on  very  well.  We  breakfasted  at 
12.30  all  together — a  very  good  breakfast,  flowers  on 
the  table,  and  everything  most  correct.  The  gentlemen 
were  amusing,  all  giving  their  experiences.  Just  as  we 
were  finishing  we  heard  someone  coming,  with  the  clank 
of  sabre,  and  those  long,  heavy  spurs  the  Russians  wear ; 
and  a  good-looking  officer.  Colonel  Benckendorff,  who 
was  attached  to  our  Embassy,  appeared.  He  will  never 
lose  sight  of  us  now  until  the  ceremonies  are  over. 

We  adjourned  to  the  serre,  and  he  put  us  au  courant 
of  everything.  He  told  us  the  crowd  and  confusion  at 
the  Kremlin  was  indescribable  (all  the  foreign  Princes 
are  lodged  there).  He  had  all  sorts  of  papers,  invita- 
tions, audiences,  cartes  de  circulation,  etc.  W.  is  to 
present  his  lettres  de  creance  and  all  the  Mission  en 
grande  tenue  at  10.30  to-day.  (I  am  waiting  now  to 
see  them  start.)     W.  has  just  been  in,  looking  very  well, 


-^^' 


Colonel   Benckendorff. 
Kroin  a  photograph  by  Berg-aniasco,  St.  Petersburg'. 


i883]  '  INITIAL  CEREMONIES  35 

as  he  always  does  in  full  uniform.  He  wears  the  Danish 
Grand  Cordon,  he  hasn't  the  Legion  d'Honneur  nor  any 
Russian  decoration.  Two  Maitres  des  Ceremonies,  cov- 
ered with  gold  lace  and  embroideries,  have  arrived  in 
an  ordinary  Russian  Court  coupe — they  have  also  an 
Imperial  gala  carriage  for  the  Ambassador,  and  two  ordi- 
nary Court  carriages,  and  they  have  just  started,  quite 
a  crowd  of  people  before  the  house  to  see  them  depart. 
First  went  two  Maitres  des  Ceremonies,  their  coats  cov- 
ered with  gold  embroidery;  then  W.  alone  in  a  gala  car- 
riage with  four  horses,  two  footmen  standing  behind,  two 
mounted,  and  an  ecuyer.  The  rest  of  the  Mission  fol- 
lowed in  two  ordinary  Court  carriages,  all  with  the  Im- 
perial liveries,  which  are  not  very  handsome,  long  red 
cloaks,  with  a  sort  of  cocked  hat.  Benckendorfif  fol- 
lowed alone  in  his  private  carriage. 

Our  big  footmen  figured  for  the  first  time — the  four 
in  their  blue  and  silver  livery  were  at  the  door  when 
the  Maitres  des  Ceremonies  arrived,  and  Pierson  with  his 
chain  in  the  anteroom.  They  looked  very  well;  Lher- 
mite  and  our  coachman  saw  the  whole  thing,  and  were 
not  at  all  impressed  with  carriages,  liveries,  or  horses. 
They  said  the  carriages  were  absolutely  shabby,  the 
liveries  neither  well  made  nor  well  put  on,  and  the  horses 
beneath  criticism.  They  do  look  extraordinarily  small 
before  those  great  heavy  state  carriages,  rather  like  rats, 
as  Hubert  says — ''Quand  on  verra  les  notres  ce  sera  une 
surprise,"  for  they  are  enormous. 

What  do  you  thtnk  I  did  as  soon  as  they  had  all  gone? 
I  had  rather  an  inspiration — I  told  the  maids  to  bring 
me  my  blue  court  train  (they  have  unpacked  some  of 
the  boxes,  the  jewels  are  all  right,  and  locked  up  in  a 
coffre-fort  in  W.'s  room,  but  can't  find  one  of  Delan- 
noy's  caisses;   I   suppose   it  will  turn   up   though,   as 


36      LETTERS   OF  A  DIPLOMAT'S   WIFE    [Mav 

Pontecoulant  says  the  compte  was  quite  right  when  we 
arrived  yesterday,  all  the  boxes  here).  I  then  locked  the 
door  of  the  ballroom,  stationed  Pierson  outside,  with 
strict  orders  not  to  let  anyone  in,  put  on  my  train  over 
my  brown  cloth  dress,  put  Adelaide  and  Mdme.  Hu- 
bert at  one  end  of  the  room,  and  whisked  backwards  and 
forwards,  making  them  low  curtseys  (they  were  rather 
embarrassed).  I  have  never  worn  a  train  in  my  life,  as 
you  know,  and  I  w^anted  to  see  how  it  would  go.  It 
seems  perfectly  cut,  and  follows  every  movement,  and 
doesn't  get  twisted  around  my  ankles.  The  maids  were 
quite  satisfied,  and  told  me  it  worked  beautifully,  par- 
ticularly when  I  backed  across  the  room.  Madame 
Jaures,  wife  of  Admiral  Jaures,  permanent  French  Am- 
bassador to  Russia,  told  me  such  hideous  tales  yester- 
day, when  she  came  to  see  me,  of  women  getting 
nervous  and  entangled  in  their  trains  when  they  backed 
away  from  the  Emperor,  that  I  thought  I  had  better 
take  some  precautions.  I  indulged  in  those  antics  for 
about  twenty  minutes,  then  unlocked  the  door,  released 
Pierson,  and  went  upstairs  to  the  lingerie  to  see  how 
my  unpacking  was  getting  on.  The  missing  trunk  had 
just  arrived,  and  my  two  women,  with  the  little  Rus- 
sian maid,  whose  eyes  opened  wide  when  she  saw  the 
quantity  of  dresses  being  produced,  and  W.'s  man  were 
putting  things  to  rights. 

The  gentlemen  got  back  to  a  late  breakfast,  much 
pleased  with  their  reception.  They  were  received  in  a 
small  palace  outside  of  Moscow,*  as  the  Emperor  makes 
his  formal  entree  into  the  town  to-morrow  only.  They 
found  the  Emperor  very  amiable,  talking  quite  easily, 
saying  something  to  everyone.  He  had  on  the  Grand 
Cordon  of  the  Legion  d'Honneur.     They  were  all  pre> 

*  Petrofski. 


i883l         THE  UNITED   STATES  MISSION         37 

sented  also  to  the  Empress.  W.  said  she  was  very 
gracious  and  charming;  remembered  quite  well  having 
seen  us  in  Paris.  We  were  presented  to  her  by  the 
Prince  of  Wales,  Exhibition  year.  He  said  she  recalled 
the  Princess  of  Wales,  not  so  tall,  and  had  splendid  eyes. 

Benckendorff  stayed  to  breakfast,  and  we  told  him 
his  place  would  be  always  ready  for  him  at  breakfast 
and  dinner.  The  hours  of  standing  apparently  will  be 
something  awful.  About  3.30  Mdme.  Jaures  came  for 
me,  and  we  went  to  see  Lady  Thornton,  who  is  Doy- 
enne of  the  Corps  Diplomatique,  but  didn't  find  her. 
The  Jaures  have  just  arrived  themselves  with  all  the 
Corps  Diplomatique  from  Petersburg.  They  said  the 
starting  from  there  was  frightfully  mismanaged,  not 
nearly  carriages  enough  for  the  people  and  their  lug- 
gage. The  Ambassadors  furious,  railway  officials  dis- 
tracted, a  second  train  had  to  be  prepared  which  made 
a  long  delay,  and  a  general  uproar.  The  only  man  who 
was  quite  quiet  and  happy  was  Mr.  Mackay  (Silver  King 
from  California).  He  formed  part  of  the  United  States 
Mission,  had  his  own  private  car  attached  to  the  train, 
in  which  were  Mrs.  Mackay  and  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hunt 
(U.  S.  Minister  and  his  wife),  and  was  absolutely  in- 
dependent. 

After  leaving  our  cards  we  drove  through  the 
Tverskaya,  the  main  street.  There  were  quantities  of 
people,  and  vehicles  of  every  description,  from  the  Am- 
bassadors' carriages  (all  with  small,  black  Russian  horses, 
a  Russian  coachman  in  caftan  and  flat  cap,  and  a  gor- 
geous chasseur,  all  gold  braid,  and  hat  with  feathers, 
beside  him),  to  the  most  ordinary  Httle  drosky  or  fiacre. 
Nigra,  the  Italian  Ambassador,  passed  us  going  very 
quickly  with  the  regular  Russian  attelage— 3  horses,  one 
scarcely  harnessed,  galloping  almost  free  on  one  side. 


38      LETTERS    OF   A   DIPLOMAT'S   WIFE    [May 

All  the  houses  are  dressed  with  red  and  gold  dra- 
peries, and  immense  tribunes  put  up  all  along  the 
street,  as  the  procession  passes  through  it  from  one  end 
to  the  other  when  the  Emperor  makes  his  formal  en- 
trance to-morrow.  There  are  crowds  of  peasants  and 
country  people,  all  the  men  in  flannel  shirts  tucked  into 
their  trousers,  and  the  women  with  a  handkerchief  or 
little  shawl  over  their  heads.  They  don't  look  the  least 
gay,  or  excited,  or  enthusiastic;  on  the  contrary,  it  is 
generally  a  sad  face,  principally  fair,  and  blue  eyes. 
They  stand,  apparently  a  compact  mass,  in  the  middle 
of  the  street,  close  up  to  the  carriages,  which  can 
scarcely  get  on — then  comes  a  little  detachment  of 
Cossacks  (most  curious  looking,  quite  wild,  on  very 
small  horses,  and  enormous  long  lances),  rides  into  the 
crowd  and  over  them.  They  make  no  resistance,  don't 
say  anything,  and  close  up  again,  as  soon  as  the  carriage 
passes — and  so  it  goes  on  all  day. 

I  was  quite  excited  when  we  drove  into  the  Krem- 
lin— it  is  enormous,  really  a  city,  surrounded  by  a  great 
crenellated  wall,  with  high  towers  at  intervals,  quantities 
of  squares,  courts,  churches,  palaces,  barracks,  terraces, 
etc.  The  view  of  the  town  from  one  of  the  terraces 
overlooking  the  river  is  splendid,  but  the  great  interest 
is  the  Kremlin  itself.  Numbers  of  gilt  domes,  pink  and 
green  roofs,  and  steeples.  It  seemed  to  me  that  pink 
predominated,  or  was  it  merely  the  rose  flush  of  the 
sunset  which  gave  a  beautiful  colour  to  everything.  We 
saw  of  course  the  great  bell,  and  the  tower  of  Ivan  the 
Terrible  (from  where  they  told  us  he  surveyed  massacres 
of  hundreds  of  his  soldiers),  everywhere  a  hurrying,  busy 
crowd  (though  always  quiet). 

Thanks  to  our  "Carte  de  Circulation"  we  pass  every- 
where, though  stopped  at  every  moment.     We  crossed, 


1883]  A  PRELIMINARY  VISIT  39 

among  other  things,  a  procession  of  servants,  and  minor 
court  officials,  with  quantities  of  silver  dishes,  fiagons, 
etc.,  some  great  swell's  dinner  being  sent  from  the  Im- 
perial Palace.  We  went  from  one  great  square  to  an- 
other, stopping  at  the  Palace  where  all  the  fetes  are  to 
be.  There  we  found  one  or  two  Court  officials  whom 
Mdme.  Jaures  knew,  and  they  showed  us  as  much  as 
they  could,  but  everybody  is  "sur  les  dents,"  and  nothing 
ready;  and  in  spite  of  all  the  precautions  one  feels  that 
there  is  a  strong  undercurrent  of  nervousness.  We 
went  to  the  Church  de  I'Assomption,  where  the  Coro- 
nation is  to  take  place.  There  too  we  found  officials, 
who  showed  us  our  places,  and  exactly  where  the  Court 
would  be.  The  church  is  small,  with  a  great  deal  of 
gilding  and  painting.  All  the  tribunes  are  ready,  and 
what  we  shall  feel  like  when  the  ceremony  is  over  I 
am  sure  I  don't  know.  It  will  last  about  three  hours 
and  a  half,  and  we  stand  all  the  time.  There  is  not  a 
vestige  of  a  seat  in  the  Tribune  Diplomatique — merely 
a  sort  of  rail  or  *'barre  d'appui"  where  one  can  lean  back 
a  Httle. 

We  lingered  a  little  on  the  terrace  overlooking  the 
river  where  there  is  a  fine  view  of  the  town,  and  came 
out  by  the  Porte  St.  Sauveur,  where  everyone,  Em- 
peror and  peasant,  uncovers.  I  was  glad  to  get  home 
and  rest  a  little  before  dinner,  but  I  have  had  a  delight- 
ful afternoon. 

I  will  finish  this  evening,  as  the  bag  goes  to-morrow. 
We  had  a  pleasant  dinner,  our  personnel  only,  and 
Colonel  BenckendorfT,  who  told  us  all  we  had  to  do 
these  days.  The  day  of  the  Coronation  we  meet  at  the 
German  Embassy  (General  Schweinitz,  who  married 
Anna  Jay,  is  Doyen  of  the  Corps  Diplomatique),  and 
go  all  together  to  the  Kremlin.     The  hour  of  rendez- 


40      LETTERS   OF  A   DIPLOMAT'S   WIFE    [Mav 

vous  is  8  there,  and  as  it  is  quite  far  off,  and  the  gala 
carriages  go  on  a  walk,  we  must  leave  here  at  7,  and 
get  up  at  Heaven  knows  what  hour.  What  do  you 
think  we  will  look  like  in  full  Court  dress  at  that  hour 
in  the  morning?  Our  dinner  was  very  good — wines, 
fruit,  etc.     W.  complimented  Lhermite. 

To-morrow  we  start  at  11  for  the  Palace  of  Prince 
Dolgourouky,  Governor  of  Moscow,  from  where  we  see 
the  Emperor  pass  on  his  way  to  the  Kremlin.  It  is 
not  far  away,  but  the  streets  are  so  barricaded  and  shut 
up  that  we  must  make  a  long  detour.  The  most  strin- 
gent  measures  are  taken,  all  windows  closed,  no  canes 
nor  umbrellas  allowed,  and  a  triple  line  of  troops  all 
along  the  route.  The  maids  are  much  excited.  They 
have  places  in  one  of  the  Tribunes,  and  M.  Lhermite  is 
going  to  escort  them.  In  some  marvellous  way  they 
have  been  able  to  communicate  with  the  Russian  maids, 
and  have  given  me  various  pieces  of  information,  I 
have  left  the  gentlemen  all  smoking  in  the  serre,  except 
W.,  who  retired  to  his  own  quarters,  as  he  had  some 
despatches  to  write.  He  has  had  a  long  talk  with 
Jaures  this  afternoon,  and  has  also  seen  Sir  Edward 
Thornton,  British  Am1)assador.  The  house  is  quite 
quiet — the  court-yard  asleep,  as  no  carriages  or  horses 
have  been  out  to-night.  We  have  two  ordinary  Russian 
landaus,  with  those  fast  little  horses,  for  our  every-day 
outings,  as  the  big  coupe  d'Orsay  only  goes  out  on 
state  occasions. 

The  detective  has  made  his  report,  and  says  the  Nihil- 
ists will  do  nothing  to-morrow — perhaps  the  night  of 
the  gala  at  the  Oj)era.  It  is  curious  to  live  in  such  a 
highly  charged  atmosphere,  and  yet  I  am  less  nervous 
— I  wonder  why — the  excitement  I  suppose  of  the  whole 
thing.     Well,    Good-night,    Dear;    I    would    say    it    in 


iS83]  OUT-OF-DOOR   SCENES  41 

Russian  if  I  could,  but  so  far  all  I  have  learnt  is  'Tchai,'* 
which  means  tea,  and  "Karosch,"  which  seems  to  be 
an  exclamation  of  delighted  admiration.  The  little 
maid  says  it  every  time  I  appear  in  a  new  garment. 


To  H.  L.  K. 

Ambassade  de  France  A  Moscou, 

Maison  Klein,  Malaia  Dimitrofska, 

Mardi,  May  2 2d,  1883. 

How  shall  I  ever  begin  to  describe  to  you.  Dear,  the 
wonderful  life  we  are  leading.  Everything  is  unlike  any- 
thing I  have  ever  seen,  I  suppose  it  is  the  beginning 
of  the  real  far-o£f  East,  This  morning  I  am  sitting  at 
the  window  reading  and  writing,  and  looking  out  into 
the  court-yard,  which  is  a  never-failing  interest — such 
quantities  of  people  always  there.  The  first  thing  I 
hear  in  the  morning  is  Pontecoulant's  voice.  He  is 
there  every  day  at  eight  o'clock,  conferring  with  Leroy 
and  Hubert,  examining  the  horses  and  carriages,  decid- 
ing which  ones  are  to  be  used,  and  giving  orders  for  the 
day. 

Then  arrive  the  two  Russian  landaus  which  go  all 
day,  and  very  dififerent  they  look  from  our  beautiful 
equipages  and  big  important  servants.  Then  comes 
Lhermite,  rattling  off,  in  a  low  pony  cart,  with  the  boy 
from  the  Consulate  along-side  of  him.  He  goes  to 
market  every  day,  and  nearly  has  a  fit  because  he  can't 
talk  himself,  and  he  knows  they  are  all  lying,  and  steal- 
ing, and  imposing  upon  him  generally.  In  one  corner 
there  is  a  group  of  little  Russian  horses  tied  to  the  stable 
doors,  with  Russian  soldiers  fussing  over  them.  They 
have  been  sent  from  one  of  the  cavalry  barracks  for  the 
gentlemen  to  ride. 


42      LETTERS   OF  A   DIPLOMAT'S   WIFE    [May 

In  every  direction  men  are  cleaning  carriages,  saddles, 
harness,  liveries;  and  with  such  little  noise — they  are 
extraordinarily  quiet. 

May  22d,  5.30. 

We  have  just  got  back  from  the  Governor's  palace; 
and  to-night  the  Emperor  is  safe  in  the  Kremlin. 

It  was  a  marvellous  day.  We  started  (the  whole 
Mission)  at  10.30  this  morning,  W.  and  I  alone  in  the 
d'Orsay,  which  looked  very  handsome.  It  is  dark  blue 
with  w^hite  stripes,  like  all  our  carriages,  and  lined  with 
blue  satin  of  rather  a  lighter  shade.  The  men  were 
in  demi-gala,  blue  plush  breeches,  white  silk  stockings, 
and  high  hats  (not  tricornes),  with  silver  bands  and 
cords.  Thornton,  the  English  coachman,  looked  very 
smart,  and  handled  his  big  black  horses  perfectly.  The 
gentlemen  told  us  he  used  very  strong  language  when 
he  got  back  to  the  stables  over  the  abomination  of  the 
Moscow  pavement.  We  were  preceded  as  usual  by 
Richard  and  Benckendorfif  in  a  light  carriage.  I  wore 
one  of  PhiHppe's  dresses,  brown  gauze  embroidered  in 
velvet  flowers,  all  the  front  ecru  lace,  and  an  ecru  straw 
bonnet,  with  a  vieux  rose  velvet  crown. 

I  was  much  amused  while  I  was  dressing  to  hear  vari- 
ous members  of  the  party  in  the  lingerie,  ''Madame, 
voulez-vous  me  coudre  un  bouton,"  "les  plumes  de  mon 
chapeau  ne  tiennent  pas,"  etc.,  even  Thornton  came  in 
to  have  his  lace  cravate  tied.  We  were  a  long  time  get- 
ting to  Prince  Dolgourouky's  palace;  not  that  it  is  far 
away,  but  the  streets  are  barricaded  in  every  direction, 
however  I  didn't  mind — the  crowd  was  so  interesting, 
packed  tight;  they  had  been  standing  for  hours,  they 
told  us,  such  pale,  patient  faces,  but  so  un]oyous;  no 
jokes,  nor  bits  of  songs,  nor  good-natured  scuffling;  so 


1883]         AT  THE  GOVERNOR'S  PALACE  43 

unlike  our  Paris  crowd  on  a  great  fete  day,  laughing  and 
chaffing,  and  commenting  freely  on  everything;  and 
certainly  very  much  unlike  the  American-Irish  crowd 
at  home  in  New  York,  on  the  4th  of  July  or  St.  Patrick's 
day.  I  remember  quite  well  putting  boxes  of  fire- 
crackers in  a  tin  pail  to  frighten  the  horses,  and  throw- 
ing numerous  Httle  petards  under  people's  feet,  but  no 
one  seemed  to  mind.  Fancy  the  effect  of  a  pailful  of 
fire-crackers  exploding  in  any  part  of  Moscow  to-day. 
The  tribunes  covered  with  red  cloth,  or  red  and  gold, 
crammed;  and  armies  of  soldiers,  mounted  and  on  foot, 
in  every  direction;  and  yet  we  were  only  in  the  side 
streets.  The  real  crowd  was  in  the  Tverskaya  where 
the  cortege  was  to  pass. 

When  we  finally  arrived  we  were  received  by  the 
Governor's  two  nieces,  Madame  Mansourofif  and  Prin- 
cess Obolenski.  The  Prince,  Hke  all  the  other  Rus- 
sian noblemen,  took  part  in  the  cortege.  All  our  col- 
leagues were  there,  but  the  Due  de  Montpensier  was 
the  only  special  envoy.  All  the  other  foreign  Princes 
were  riding  with  the  Emperor's  suite.  It  was  almost  a 
female  gathering,  though  of  course  all  the  men  of  the 
Corps  Diplomatique  were  there.  We  waited  some  little 
time  in  the  large  drawing-room,  where  many  presenta- 
tions were  made;  and  then  had  a  very  handsome  break- 
fast, people  talking  easily,  but  the  Russians  visibly 
nervous  and  preoccupied.  As  soon  as  it  was  over  we 
went  out  on  the  balconies,  where  we  remained  until  the 
cortege  had  passed.  They  brought  us  tea  at  intervals, 
but  I  never  stirred  from  my  chair  until  the  end. 

It  was  a  beautiful  sight  as  we  looked  down — as  far 
as  one  could  see,  right  and  left,  flags,  draperies,  prin- 
cipally red  and  gold,  green  wreaths,  flowers  and  uni- 
forms— the  crowd  of  people  well  kept  back  behind  a 


44      LETTERS   OF  A  DIPLOMAT'S  WIFE    [May 

triple  row  of  soldiers,  the  middle  of  the  street  perfectly 
clear,  always  a  distant  sound  of  bells,  trumpets,  and 
music.  A  salute  of  cannon  was  to  let  us  know  when 
the  Emperor  left  Petrofski,  the  small  palace  just  outside 
the  walls  where  he  has  been  all  these  days.  As  the  time 
drew  near  one  felt  the  anxiety  of  the  Russians,  and 
when  the  first  coup  sounded,  all  of  them  in  the  Palace 
and  in  the  street  crossed  themselves.  As  the  procession 
drew  near  the  tension  was  intense.  The  Governor's  Pal- 
ace is  about  half  way  between  the  gate  by  which  the 
Emperor  entered  and  the  Kremlin.  He  had  all  that 
long  street  to  follow  at  a  foot's  pace.  As  soon  as  he 
entered  the  Kremlin  another  cannon  would  tell  his 
people  he  was  safe  inside. 

At  last  the  head  of  the  gorgeous  procession  appeared. 
It  was  magnificent,  but  I  can't  begin  to  tell  you  the 
details.  I  don't  even  remember  all  I  saw,  but  you  will 
read  it  all  in  the  papers,  as  of  course  all  their  corre- 
spondents are  here.  There  were  quantities  of  troops  of 
all  descriptions,  the  splendid  chevaliers-gardes  looked 
very  imposing  with  their  white  tunics  and  silver  cui- 
rasses; both  horses  and  men  enormous.  What  I  liked 
best  were  the  red  Cossacks  (even  their  long  lances  red). 
They  look  perfectly  wild  and  uncivilized  and  their  little 
horses  equally  so,  prancing  and  plunging  all  the  time. 

The  most  interesting  thing  to  me  was  the  deputations 
from  all  the  provinces  of  this  vast  Empire — Kirghis, 
Moguls,  Tartars,  Kalmucks,  etc.  There  was  a  magnifi- 
cent chief  from  the  Caucase,  all  in  white,  with  jewelled 
sword  and  high  cap  (even  from  where  we  were,  so  high 
above  the  crowd,  we  saw  the  flash  of  the  diamonds); 
the  Khan  of  Khiva,  and  the  Emir  of  Bokhara,  both  with 
high  fur  caps,  also  with  jewels  on  cap  and  belt.  A  young 
fellow,    cousin   I  think    of   Prince   Dolgourouky,   came 


1883]  EMPEROR  ALEXANDER  III.  45 

and  stood  near  me,  and  told  me  as  well  as  he  could  who 
the  most  important  people  were.  Bells  going  all  the 
time  (and  the  Moscow  bells  have  a  deep,  beautiful 
sound),  music,  the  steady  tramp  of  soldiers,  and  the 
curious,  dull  noise  of  a  great  crowd  of  people. 

Then  a  break  in  the  troops,  and  a  long  procession  of 
gala  court  carriages  passed,  with  six  horses  and  six  run- 
ners, a  man  to  each  horse,  with  all  the  grands-maitres 
and  high  officials  of  the  Court,  each  man  covered  with 
gold  lace  and  embroidery,  and  holding  his  stafif  of  office, 
white  with  a  jewel  at  the  top.  After  that  more  troops, 
the  Emperor's  body-guard,  and  then  the  Emperor  him- 
self. He  was  in  full  uniform,  riding  quite  alone  in  front 
on  his  little  white  horse  which  he  had  ridden  in  the  Turk- 
ish campaign.  He  looked  quite  composed  and  smiling, 
not  a  trace  of  nervousness  (perhaps  a  little  pale),  re- 
turned all  the  salutations  most  graciously,  and  looked 
up,  bowed  and  smiled  to  our  balcony.  A  little  distance 
behind  him  rode  his  two  sons,  and  close  up  to  him  on 
the  left  rode  the  Duke  of  Edinburgh  in  red;  any  bomb 
thrown  at  the  Emperor  must  have  killed  the  English 
Prince. 

Then  followed  a  long  suite  of  Princes — some  of  their 
uniforms,  Austrian,  Greek,  and  Montenegrian  standing 
out  well.  From  that  moment  there  was  almost  silence 
on  the  balcony;  as  the  Emperor  disappeared  again  all 
crossed  themselves,  and  everyone  waited  for  the  wel- 
come sound  from  the  Kremlin. 

After  a  long  interval,  always  troops  passing,  came  the 
Empress.  She  was  with  her  daughter,  the  little  Grand 
Duchess  Xenia,  both  in  Russian  dress.  The  carriage 
was  shut,  a  coupe,  but  half  glass,  so  we  saw  them  per- 
fectly, and  the  high  head-dress  (Kakoshnik)  and  white 
veil,  spangled  with  silver  was  very  becoming.     The  car- 


46      LETTERS   OF  A  DIPLOMAT'S   WIFE    [Ma^ 

riage  was  very  handsome,  all  gold  and  paintings;  six 
white  horses  led,  and  running  footmen.  The  Empress 
and  her  daughter  were  seated  side  by  side,  and  on  a 
curious  sort  of  outside  seat,  on  one  side  of  the  coupe, 
was  a  page,  dressed  in  red  and  yellow,  a  sort  of  cloth  of 
gold,  with  high  feathers  in  his  cap.  The  Empress  looked 
grave  and  very  pale,  but  she  smiled  and  bowed  all  the 
time.  It  must  have  been  an  awful  day  for  her,  for  she 
was  so  far  behind  the  Emperor,  and  such  masses  of 
troops  in  between,  that  he  might  have  been  assassinated 
easily,  she  knowing  nothing  of  it. 

There  was  again  a  great  sound  of  bells  and  music  when 
the  Empress  passed,  all  the  people  crossing  themselves, 
but  the  great  interest  of  course  was  far  ahead  with  the 
Emperor.  A  great  procession  of  Court  carriages  fol- 
lowed with  all  the  Princesses,  Grandes-Maitresses,  etc., 
and  endless  troops  still,  but  no  one  paid  much  attention; 
every  ear  was  strained  to  hear  the  first  sound  from  the 
Kremlin.  When  the  cannon  boomed  out  the  effect  was 
indescribable.  All  the  Russians  embraced  each  other, 
some  with  tears  running  down  their  cheeks,  everybody 
shook  hands  with  everybody,  and  for  a  moment  the  emo- 
tion was  contagious — I  felt  rather  a  choke  in  my  throat. 
The  extraordinary  reaction  showed  what  the  tension  had 
been. 

After  rather  a  whirl  of  felicitations  we  went  into  the 
drawing-room  for  a  few  minutes,  had  tea  (of  course),  and 
I  talked  to  some  of  the  people  whom  I  had  not  seen  be- 
fore. Montpensier  came  up,  and  was  very  civil  and  nice. 
He  is  here  as  a  Spanish  Prince.  He  told  me  he  had  been 
frightfully  nervous  for  the  Emperor.  They  all  knew 
that  so  many  Nihilists  were  about — he  added,  "11  etait 
superbe,  leur  Empereur,  si  crane !" 

We  had  to  wait  a  few  moments  for  the  carriage  and 


1883]  AN  EVENING  DRIVE  47 

got  home  about  5,  having  been  standing  a  long  time. 
We  were  almost  as  long  getting  back  to  the  Embassy  as 
we  were  coming.  There  was  a  dense  crowd  everywhere, 
and  the  same  Httle  detachments  of  Cossacks  galloping 
hard  into  the  midst  of  the  people,  and  apparently  doing 
no  harm  to  anyone. 

I  will  finish  now  before  going  to  bed — happily  all  our 
dissipations  finish  early.  We  dined  quietly  with  only 
our  own  Embassy  and  BenckendorlT,  and  then  drove 
about  for  an  hour  or  so  looking  at  the  illuminations, 
which  were  not  very  wonderful.  We  met  all  our  col- 
leagues doing  the  same  thing.  W.  has  just  had  his  re- 
port from  the  detective.  He  said  all  the  Nihilists  were 
scattered  along  the  route  to-day,  but  evidently  had  no 
intention  of  doing  anything.  It  seems  curious  they 
should  be  allowed  to  remain,  as  of  course  the  Russian 
police  know  them  quite  as  well  as  our  man  does. 

I  have  just  had  a  notice  that  the  Empress  will  receive 
me  to-morrow.  I  will  try  and  write  a  few  lines  always 
late  before  going  to  bed,  and  while  the  whole  thing  is 
still  fresh  in  my  memory.  If  this  letter  is  slightly  inco- 
herent it  is  because  I  have  had  so  many  interruptions. 
The  maids  can  hardly  undress  me,  they  are  so  anxious  to 
tell  me  all  they  have  seen.  It  certainly  was  a  magnifi- 
cent sight  to-day,  and  the  fears  for  the  Emperor  gave 
such  a  dramatic  note  to  the  whole  thing.  My  eyes  are 
rather  tired,  looking  so  hard,  I  suppose. 

Wednesday,  May  23d. 
Well,  Dear,  I  have  had  my  audience.  It  was  most  in- 
teresting. I  started  at  1 1  o'clock  in  the  gala  carriage, 
Hubert  driving  me,  as  he  wanted  to  go  once  to  the 
Kremlin  with  the  carriage  before  the  day  of  the  Corona- 
tion.    It  seems  there  is  a  slight  rise  in  the  road  just  as 


48      LETTERS   OF  A  DIPLOMAT'S   WIFE    [May 

one  gets  to  the  gate,  which  is  also  narrow.  I  wore  the 
blue  brocade  with  bunches  of  cherries,  the  front  of 
mousse  velvet,  and  a  light  blue  crepe  bonnet,  neither 
gloves  nor  veil.  BenckendorfY  and  Richard,  as  "ofBcer 
de  service,"  went  ahead  in  a  small  carriage.  Bencken- 
dorfT  said  I  must  have  one  of  my  own  Embassy,  and 
Richard  thought  it  would  amuse  him  to  come.  W. 
rather  demurred — was  afraid  we  wouldn't  be  serious 
enough,  but  we  promised  him  to  be  absolutely  dignes. 
Do  you  remember  at  the  first  official  reception  at  the 
Instruction  Publique  he  never  would  let  you  and  Pau- 
line stand  behind  me — he  was  afraid  we  would  make  un- 
seemly jokes,  or  laugh  at  some  of  the  dresses. 

Our  progress  to  the  Kremlin  was  slow.  The  carriage 
is  heavy,  goes  always  at  a  foot's  pace,  and  has  a  swinging 
motion  which  is  very  disagreeable.  I  felt  rather  shy, 
sitting  up  there  alone,  as  of  course  there  is  a  great  deal 
of  glass,  so  that  I  was  much  ''en  evidence.*'  Every- 
body looked,  and  the  people  in  the  street  crowded  close 
up  to  the  carriage.  We  found  grand  preparations  when 
we  got  to  the  Palace — the  great  staircase  covered  with 
a  red  cloth,  and  every  variety  of  chamberlain,  page, 
usher,  and  officer  on  the  stairs  and  at  the  door.  Benck- 
endorff  and  Richard  helped  me  out  of  my  carriage, 
and  Richard's  impulse  was  to  give  me  his  arm  to  go 
upstairs,  but  he  was  waved  back  imperatively,  and  a 
magnificent  gentleman  in  a  velvet  coat,  all  lace  and  em- 
broidery, advanced,  and  conducted  me  up  the  grand 
staircase,  always  a  little  behind  me.  I  passed  through  a 
hedge  of  uniforms  and  costumes.  When  we  came  to 
the  landing  where  there  was  a  piquet  of  soldiers  my 
attendant  said — "La  France,"  and  they  presented 
arms. 

At  the  top  of  the  staircase,  at  the  door  of  the  first  of 


1883]  IN  THE  KREMLIN  49 

a  long  enfilade  of  salons,  I  was  handed  over,  with  a  very 
low  bow,  from  my  first  gentleman  to  another  of  the  same 
description,  equally  all  gold  lace,  and  embroidery;  and 
so  I  passed  through  all  the  rooms,  always  meeting  a 
new  chamberlain  in  each  one.  The  rooms  are  large  and 
high,  with  vaulted  roofs  like  a  cathedral,  little  or  no 
furniture  (I  believe  the  Russian  Court  never  sits  down 
except  at  meals).  We  made  a  halt  in  one  of  the  salons, 
where  we  found  several  maids  of  honour  of  the  Empress, 
who  were  presented  to  me.  They  were  all  dressed  much 
alike  in  long,  light  dresses,  and  w^ore  their  badge — the 
Empress's  chiffre  in  diamonds  on  a  blue  ribbon.  While 
I  was  talking  to  them  a  procession  of  diplomats  and 
special  envoys  passed  through  the  room.  They  had  just 
been  received  by  the  Empress. 

Presently  appeared  Prince  Galitzin — Grand  Maitre 
des  Ceremonies,  attired  in  red  velvet  and  lace,  and  em- 
broidery, who  said,  "Sa  Majeste  sera  bientot  prete."  I 
continued  my  progress  with  the  same  ceremonial,  passed 
through  the  salle  du  trone,  which  is  handsome,  white 
and  gold;  and  came  to  a  standstill  in  the  next  salon,  evi- 
dently the  ante-chamber  of  the  room  where  I  was  to  be 
received,  as  the  two  colossal  negroes  who  always  ac- 
company the  Emperor  and  Empress  were  standing  at  the 
door.  They  were  dressed  in  a  sort  of  Asiatic  costume, 
cashmeres,  turbans,  scimitars,  etc.  I  was  received  by  the 
Princess  Kotchoubey  and  Count  Pahlen,  Arch  Grand 
Maitre  des  Ceremonies.  The  Princess  K.  is  the  mother 
of  Princess  Lise  Troubetzkoi  (whom  you  will  remember 
in  Paris  as  having  a  salon  the  first  days  of  the  Republic 
where  political  men  of  all  opinions  assembled — Thiers 
was  her  great  friend).  She  was  a  Httle  old  lady,  dressed 
entirely  in  white,  with  a  jewel  low  on  her  forehead. 
Count  Pahlen  was  dressed  in  blue  velvet  and  embroidery, 


50      LETTERS  OF  A  DIPLOMAT'S  WIFE    [Mav 

and  carried  his  staff  of  office,  white,  with  a  large  sapphire 
on  the  top. 

We  talked  a  few  minutes,  when  apparently  there  came 
a  signal  from  the  Empress,  The  doors  flew  open,  and 
the  Princess  advanced  to  the  threshold,  making  a 
beautiful  curtsey  (I  am  sure  mine  was  not  half  so  good), 
she  seemed  to  go  straight  down  to  the  ground,  said — 
*7'ai  I'honneur  d'annoncer  I'Ambassadrice  de  France." 
She  then  withdrew  to  one  side — I  made  a  curtsey  at 
the  door,  which  was  instantly  shut,  another,  a  little  far- 
ther on  (the  regulation  is  3),  but  hadn't  time  for  my 
third,  as  the  Empress,  who  was  standing  in  the  middle 
of  the  room,  advanced  a  few  steps,  shook  hands  and 
begged  me  to  sit  down.  I  hadn't  seen  her  for  some 
years,  since  she  came  to  Paris  with  her  husband,  then 
Grand  Duke  Heritier  (his  father  was  still  alive),  and  I 
didn't  find  her  changed.  She  recalls  the  Princess  of 
Wales,  but  is  not  so  tall;  has  beautiful  dark  eyes,  and  a 
very  gracious  manner  She  was  dressed  almost  as  I 
was,  but  in  a  different  color,  yellow  brocade  with 
bunches  of  plums,  splendid  lace  in  front,  and  a  beautiful 
pearl  necklace,  three  rows  of  large  stones  (my  one  row 
of  fairly  large  ones  was  nowhere).  I  think  I  stayed 
about  20  minutes. 

We  talked  easily  enough.  She  said  the  long  day  yes- 
terday had  been  very  fatiguing,  the  going  at  a  foot's 
pace  all  that  long  distance  with  the  peculiar  swinging 
motion  of  the  heavy  gala  carriage  had  tired  her  very 
much;  also  the  constant  bowing  right  and  left,  and  the 
quantities  of  flags  and  draperies  waving  under  her  eyes. 
She  didn't  say  anything  about  being  nervous,  so  of 
course  I  didn't.  She  gave  me  the  impression  of  having 
extraordinary  self-control.  I  asked  her  what  the  little 
Grand  Duchess  thought  of  it  all.     She  said  that  she 


1883]       AUDIENCE  WITH  THE  EMPRESS        51 

really  didn't  know — that  she  didn't  speak,  but  looked  at 
everything  and  bowed  to  all  the  people  exactly  as  she 
did. 

She  said  the  day  of  the  sacre  would  be  very  long  and 
tiring,  particularly  beginning  so  early  in  the  morning; 
that  she  was  very  matinale,  quite  accustomed  to  getting 
up  early — was  I?  "Fairly — but  I  hadn't  often  been  up 
and  dressed  in  full  dress  and  diamonds  at  seven  in  the 
morning."  ''You  would  prefer  a  ceremony  by  candle- 
light." 'T  think  we  should  all  look  better  at  9  o'clock 
in  the  evening,"  She  laughed,  and  then  we  talked  a 
little;  Paris,  chiffons,  etc.  She  said  some  of  her  dresses 
had  come  from  Philippe.  We  talked  a  little  about  Mos- 
cow and  the  Kremlin.  She  asked  me  what  I  had  seen. 
When  I  spoke  of  the  church  and  the  tribunes  for  the 
Corps  Diplomatique  with  no  seats,  and  a  very  long 
ceremony,  she  was  quite  indifferent;  evidently  didn't 
think  it  was  of  the  slightest  consequence  whether  we 
were  tired  or  not;  and  I  don't  suppose  it  is. 

When  she  congedied  me  the  door  flew  open  (she  evi- 
dently had  a  bell  under  her  chair  which  she  touched  with 
her  feet);  she  shook  hands,  and  walked  immediately  to 
a  door  at  the  other  end  of  the  room;  so  I  didn't  have  to 
back  out  all  the  way.  Princess  Kotchoubey  and  Count 
Pahlen  were  waiting  for  me.  The  Princess  said,  "Sa 
Majeste  vous  a  garde  bien  longtemps,  Madame  I'Am- 
bassadrice.  J'espere  que  vous  avez  ete  contente."  Pah- 
len also  made  me  a  polite  phrase.  They  both  accom- 
panied me  across  the  room,  and  then  the  door  opened, 
and  another  chamberlain  took  possession  of  me.  Just 
as  we  got  to  the  door  the  Princess  was  saying  something 
about  her  daughter  "devenue  absolument  une  Parisi- 
enne,"  when  it  opened;  she  stopped  short  in  the  middle 
of  her  phrase,  and  made  me  a  little  curtsey — her  func- 


52      LETTERS   OF  A  DIPLOMAT'S  WIFE    LMav 

tion  was  over  once  I  passed  into  the  other  room.  It 
was  too  funny. 

I  was  conducted  through  all  the  rooms  and  down  the 
great  staircase  with  the  same  ceremony.  I  found  Rich- 
ard waiting  in  one  of  the  big  rooms,  with  the  ''Dames 
du  portrait,"  but  this  time  he  didn't  venture  to  offer 
his  arm  to  the  Ambassadress,  and  followed  with  Benck- 
endorff  at  a  respectful  distance. 

I  found  my  carriage  surrounded  by  an  admiring  crowd. 
The  horses  are  handsome  and  enormous,  particularly 
here  where  the  race  is  small,  also  the  French  gala  liveries 
are  unlike  anything  else.  Hubert,  my  own  coachman, 
sits  up  so  straight  and  pompous  on  his  box,  and  looks 
so  correct  I  hardly  know  him.  The  movement  of  the 
gala  carriage  is  something  awful,  makes  me  really  ill. 

May  23d,  10  o'clock. 

We  have  had  a  quiet  evening — some  of  the  gentle- 
men have  gone  ofT  to  hear  the  famous  Bohemiennes  in 
one  of  the  public  gardens.  They  have  been  leaving 
cards  all  day  on  the  special  envoys.  Princes,  etc.  W. 
and  Pontecoulant  are  having  a  conference,  and  I  have 
got  into  my  tea-gown,  and  am  reading  a  little,  writing 
a  little,  and  being  generally  lazy.  W.  and  I  also  did  a 
round  of  visits  this  afternoon. 

As  naturally  none  of  our  servants  know  either  a  word 
of  Russian,  or  the  streets  of  Moscow,  we  took  with  us 
the  little  polygot  youth  from  the  Consulate,  who  knows 
equally  well  French,  Russian,  and  German.  We  gave 
him  our  list,  and  he  went  ahead  in  a  drosky. 

We  found  no  one  but  the  Princess  Obolenski,  who 
spoke  at  once  about  the  Emperor's  entree;  said  no  one 
could  imagine  the  relief  it  was  to  all  of  them  to  know 
that  he  was  actually  safe  in  the  Kremlin.     They  had  evi- 


,883]  THE  NIHILISTS  53 

dently  all  dreaded  that  day,  and  of  course  notwithstand- 
ing all  the  precautions  a  bomb  could  have  been  thrown. 
The  thrower,  par  exemple,  would  have  been  torn  to  pieces 
by  the  crowd ;  but  what  makes  the  strength  of  the  Nihil- 
ists is  that  they  all  count  their  Hves  as  nothing  in  what 
they  consider  the  great  cause. 

How  hideous  the  life  of  the  Emperor  and  the  Empress 
must  be.  They  say  they  find  letters  on  their  tables,  in 
their  carriages,  coming  from  no  one  knows  where,  tell- 
ing them  of  all  the  horrors  in  store  for  them  and  their 
children. 


To  H.  L.  K. 

Ambassade  de  France,  A  Moscou, 
Maison  Klein,  Malaia  Dimitrofska, 
Thursday,  24  Mai,  1883. 

I  am  having  a  quiet  morning.  We  have  no  particu- 
lar function  to-day.  Madame  Jaures  is  coming  to  get 
me  after  breakfast,  and  we  are  going  to  do  a  little  sight- 
seeing. The  first  thing  I  hear  in  the  morning  always  is 
Pontecoulant's  voice  in  the  court  talking  to  Leroy  and 
Hubert,  and  examining  the  horses.  The  pair  we  had 
in  the  gala  carriage  yesterday  went  beautifully.  Hu- 
bert was  rather  nervous,  as  there  is  a  steep  Httle  bit 
just  as  one  passes  through  the  gates  of  the  KremUn — 
it  is  also  narrow,  and  those  big,  unwieldy  carriages  are 
not  easily  handled.  The  pavement  is  so  rough  that  I 
was  actually  a  little  sick  yesterday  after  I  came  in. 

I  was  called  off  by  a  visit  from  Prince  Orloff  (Russian 
Ambassador  in  France).  He  comes  almost  every  day, 
and  is  much  interested  in  all  our  doings — said  the  car- 
riage and  general  style  of  everything  was  much  admired 
yesterday.     About  two  Madame  Jaures  came,  and  we 


54      LETTERS   OF  A  DIPLOMAT'S   WIFE    [May 

started  off  sight-seeing.  The  admiral,  Jaures,  and  one  or 
two  of  the  young  men  met  us  at  the  Kremlin,  and  we 
went  over  the  two  palaces — new  and  old.  The  old  one 
is  most  curious;  small,  dark,  low  rooms,  vaulted  ceilings, 
all  most  elaborately  ornamented  in  Byzantine  style;  a 
small  steep,  twisting  staircase;  large  porcelain  stoves,  and 
absolutely  uncomfortable.  We  saw  the  dining-room 
where  the  Emperor  and  Empress  will  dine  in  state  the 
day  of  the  Coronation.  The  new  palace  is  quite  difTer- 
ent — high,  light,  large  rooms,  white,  which  must  look 
beautiful  at  night  lighted  by  thousands  of  wax  candles. 
In  the  great  ballroom  the  two  Throne  chairs  are  on 
a  gold  dais  with  great  curtains  of  purple  velvet  and  er- 
mine— very  royal  looking. 

(I  wonder  if  the  sight  of  all  this  splendour  will  destroy 
my  mental  equilibrium — I  assure  you  I  felt  rather  like 
a  queen  myself  yesterday,  seated  up  alone  in  the  great 
gala  carriage,  with  everybody  bowing  and  gaping.) 
There  is  a  splendid  view  over  the  Kremlin,  the  river  and 
the  town  from  all  the  palace  windows.  We  went  again 
to  the  church  of  the  Assomption,  where  we  found  Count 
Pahlen  superintending.  He  showed  us  some  of  the 
famous  paintings — among  others  a  Madonna  with  a 
black  face,  a  splendid  diamond  necklace,  and  large  sap- 
phires and  emeralds  disposed  about  her  person.  There 
are  jewels  about  everywhere;  on  pictures,  brackets,  etc. 
Pahlen  told  me,  when  I  was  noticing  them,  that  the 
Russian  Court  was  famous  for  coloured  stones,  particu- 
larly emeralds  and  sapphires — told  me  to  notice  the 
Grand  Duchess  Constantine's  emeralds,  and  the  Em- 
press's sapphires.  I  will,  if  ever  I  get  time  to  go  into  de- 
tails, but  everything  is  on  such  an  enormous  scale  here. 

He  also  asked  me  if  I  was  accustomed  to  standing 
three  or  four  hours,  and  if  not  he  would  suggest  a  pliant 


'^^3]  SOME  VISITS  55 

"dissimule  sous  les  plis  de  la  traine,"  and  showed  me 
with  pride  the  rails,  covered  with  red  velvet,  in  our  trib- 
une, which  he  had  had  put  there  so  we  should  be  com- 
fortable !  It  will  really  be  an  awful  day,  particularly  as 
we  have  to  begin  it  so  early,  but  I  suppose  we  shan't  die 
of  it. 

I  came  back  about  4,  changed  my  dress  for  something 
more  elegant  (the  blue  silk  with  long  blue  redingote 
and  white  lace),  and  started  off  again  in  the  d'Orsay  for 
some  visits  (the  little  boy  in  the  drosky  going  in  front). 
I  found  the  Princess  Radziwill  in  two  small  rooms  (she 
received  me  in  her  bedroom),  all  she  could  find  for  her- 
self and  her  husband  in  Moscow— and  that  at  an  awful 
price  (and  she  is  Russian  born).  I  also  found  Countess 
Pahlen,  wife  of  the  Grand  Master,  who  was  very  smil- 
ing, and  suggested  that  we  should  have  an  evening  re- 
ception, which  would  be  much  appreciated.  Of  course 
we  shall  be  delighted,  and  had  even  thought  of  a  ball, 
but  all  those  things  had  been  settled  in  Russia  before  we 
left  Paris.  The  Russian  Court  wished  to  have  one  ball 
only,  as  the  Coronation  functions  were  numerous  and 
fatiguing,  and  that  is  to  be  at  General  Schweinitz's 
(Doyen  of  the  Corps  Diplomatique). 

After  leaving  Countess  Pahlen  I  went  again  to  the 
Kremlin,  the  d'Orsay  always  exciting  much  attention. 
I  had  the  greatest  difficulty  in  finding  out  the  Duchesse 
d'Edimbourg,  for  whom  I  had  to  write  myself  down,  and 
could  find  no  servant  who  spoke  either  German,  French, 
or  English.  The  crowd  and  confusion  was  something 
awful;  apparently  the  whole  of  Moscow  was  going 
wherever  I  was — Ambassadors,  Generals,  Chamberlains, 
maids-of-honour,  servants  with  tea,  crowding  in  all  the 
corridors.  You  never  saw  such  a  sight,  and  just  as 
many  more  in  the  court-yards — carriages,  soldiers,  work- 


S^     LETTERS   OF  A  DIPLOMAT'S  WIFE    [Ma^ 

people,  carpenters,  bales  of  stuffs,  and  planks  for  stands, 
and  all  in  that  beautiful  cadre — the  old  gray  walls  looked 
so  soft,  and  the  marvellous  effects  of  colour  ever}^where. 
I  was  well  shaken  up,  such  a  pavement.  I  met  the  Due 
de  Montpensier  at  every  turn,  sight-seeing  too.  We 
had  a  quiet  dinner,  the  personnel  only  with  Bencken- 
dorff.  The  gentlemen  had  been  going  all  around  too 
all  the  afternoon  leaving  cards.  They  all  say  the  pave- 
ment is  most  trying. 

W.  and  Pontecoulant  have  come  in  late  as  usual  for  a 
last  little  talk.  I  told  them  what  Countess  Pahlen  had 
said  about  an  evening  reception.  W.  had  had  the  same 
idea.  I  think  the  house  is  large  enough — the  ballroom 
ought  to  light  well,  all  white  with  yellow  satin  furniture. 
We  must  have  a  talk  with  Lhermite  about  flowers;  he 
says  there  are  none  here,  his  come  from  Paris. 

Friday,  25  th. 

The  men  of  the  Embassy  went  off  early,  as  they  had 
no  end  of  audiences  with  all  the  Grand  Dukes;  uncles 
and  brothers  of  the  Emperor.  I  walked  about  a  little 
with  Adelaide,  but  I  didn't  find  that  very  pleasant.  It 
is  curious  I  never  see  a  lady  of  any  kind  walking,  and 
we  always  attract  attention.  It  is  very  warm,  the  sun 
really  powerful.  I  breakfasted  alone  in  the  big  dining- 
room,  an  elaborate  meal,  one  maitre  d'hotel  and  two 
tall  footmen  waiting  upon  me — I  was  rather  sorry  I 
hadn't  asked  for  tea  and  cold  chicken  in  my  dressing- 
room. 

At  3.30  the  gentlemen  all  reappeared,  put  on  their 
Austrian  decorations,  and  we  started  for  the  recep- 
tion of  the  Arch  Duke  and  Arch  Duchess  Albert  of 
Austria.  We  found  quantities  of  people,  as  all  the  Corps 
Diplomatique  had  been  convoked.     W.  and  I  went  as 


1883J  A  DIPLOMATIC  RECEPTION  57 

usual  in  the  d'Orsay.  I  wore  my  creme  voile  with 
lace  and  embroidery,  straw  bonnet  with  creme  feathers, 
lined  with  dark  blue  velvet.  We  waited  some  little  time 
in  a  large  hall  or  anteroom  where  was  Count  Wolken- 
stein,  Austrian  Ambassador,  who  presented  all  the  suite 
of  the  Arch  Duke.  Then  appeared  the  Arch  Duke 
alone — said  his  wife  was  coming  in  a  few  moments.  We 
had  known  him  in  Paris — he  had  dined  with  us  at  the 
Quai  d'Orsay  when  W.  was  Foreign  Minister,  our  Ex- 
hibition year.  He  is  a  tall,  distinguished  looking  man.  It 
was  when  he  was  dining  at  the  Elysee  one  night  with 
Marechal  MacMahon  that  such  a  funny  contre-temps 
occurred.  Their  dinners  were  always  very  good  and 
soignes,  but  evidently  they  had  not  thought  about  the 
names  of  the  dishes,  and  when  we  were  well  on  with  the 
dinner  we  suddenly  realized  that  something  was  wrong. 
My  neighbour  said  to  me  "Look  at  your  menu,"  and 
what  did  I  see — "Glace  a  la  Magenta" — "Gateau  Solfer- 
ino,"  and  I  forget  the  third  thing — all  battles  where  the 
Austrians  had  been  beaten.  I  spoke  to  one  of  the  house- 
hold about  it  afterwards  who  said  "J'ai  froid  dans  le 
dos  en  pensant  a  ce  que  le  Marechal  me  dira."  It  seems 
that  when  he  was  angry  the  Marechal  didn't  mince  mat- 
ters, and  used  most  emphatic  expressions.  You  can  im- 
agine how  carefully  we  studied  the  menu  of  our  dinner 
which  came  two  days  after — "Glace  a  la  Regence," 
"Gateau  Moka,"  etc.,  nothing  compromising. 

While  the  Arch  Duke  was  talking  there  was  sud- 
denly a  move,  and  he  went  to  meet  the  Arch  Duchess 
who  came  in,  crossed  the  room  quickly,  and  asked  us 
to  follow.  We  did,  into  a  smaller  room,  W.  and  I  alone. 
She  is  very  handsome,  younger  than  he  is,  tall  and  slight, 
dressed  in  a  black  dress  with  a  great  deal  of  lace,  a  very 
long  train,  a  handsome  pearl  necklace,  and  a  high  comb 


58      LETTERS   OF  A  DIPLOMAT'S   WIFE    [Mav 

of  diamonds.  She  said  she  would  like  to  make  a  stay  in 
Paris.  After  they  had  congedied  us  W.  asked  if  he 
might  present  the  rest  of  the  Mission,  so  I  returned  to 
the  large  salon  and  saw  various  people  to  talk  to,  includ- 
ing Count  Apponyi,  whom  I  had  known  in  Paris,  where 
his  father  was  Ambassador  for  years. 

We  dined  at  home  and  went  in  the  evening  to  a  re- 
ception at  M.  de  Giers' — Foreign  Minister.  The  rooms 
were  not  large,  and  there  were  a  great  many  people, 
I  should  think  more  foreigners  and  diplomatists  than 
Russians.  Princess  Kotchoubey  and  Countess  Pahlen 
did  the  honours.  Quantities  of  people  were  presented 
to  me — I  shall  never  remember  their  names  or  their 
faces.  I  wore  fraise-ecrase  velvet,  the  front  covered  with 
white  "point  a  Faiguille."  General  Wolseley,  who  is  here 
with  the  Duke  of  Edinburgh,  was  presented.  He  is  not 
at  all  the  real  British  type,  small  and  dark,  but  very  bright 
eyes.  I  also  had  quite  a  talk  with  my  Dutch  friend 
Schimmelpenninck,  who  assured  me  my  toilettes  were  tres 
reussies,  particularly  the  white  one,  this  afternoon.  I 
had  quite  a  talk  too  with  the  Hunts,  who  are  very  nice. 
Both  are  tall  and  fine-looking,  she  always  very  well 
dressed.  The  U.  S.  Mission  is  very  distinguished — they 
have  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Mackay  with  them,  both  very  natu- 
ral and  quiet;  she  of  course  has  splendid  jewels  (they  tell 
me  her  sapphires  are  beautiful),  but  she  wears  them 
quite  simply,  without  any  ostentation.  There  is  also 
Admiral  Baldwin,  who  has  his  ship  at  Cronstadt,  and  two 
charming  young  aides-de-camp,  Rogers  and  Paul 


1883]  A  DAY  OF  AUDIENCES  59 

To  H.  L.  K, 

Saturday,  May  26,  1883. 

Well,  Dear,  I  am  just  alive,  but  nothing  more,  having 
performed  5  Grand  Duchesses.  The  gentlemen  all  went 
off  in  full  uniform  at  1 1  to  begin  their  audiences.  I  fol- 
lowed later  alone  (they  always  go  en  bande)  with  Rich- 
ard going  in  the  small  carriage  in  front  as  officier  de  ser- 
vice (which  amuses  us  both  perfectly).  I  wore  the  white 
soft  silk  with  Valenciennes  that  you  liked,  and  the  flower 
hat  Benckendorff  complimented  me  on  my  toilette. 
It  was  a  long  affair  getting  to  our  different  Princesses. 
They  are  all  lodged  in  the  KremHn,  and  the  various  pal- 
aces connect  with  all  sorts  of  passages  and  staircases,  but 
the  corridors  are  narrow  and  the  block  something  awful. 
My  first  audience  was  with  the  Grand  Duchess  Michel. 
Her  husband  is  an  uncle  of  the  Emperor,  and  was  for  a 
long  time  Governor  of  the  Caucasus.  When  we  finally 
got  to  the  door  of  the  apartments  I  was  received  by  2 
Chamberlains  (all  gold  and  embroidery),  who  never  left 
me  until  they  deposited  me  in  the  carriage  at  5  o'clock — ■ 
I  had  started  at  1.30.  The  ceremonial  was  always  ex- 
actly the  same,  one  or  two  ladies-in-waiting  were  in  the 
room  communicating  with  the  one  in  which  the  Grand 
Duchess  was  waiting.  They  announced  ''L'Ambassa- 
drice  de  France,"  I  got  through  as  many  of  my  three  reg- 
ulation curtseys  as  I  could — I  never  really  had  time  to 
make  the  third,  as  they  all  advanced  a  few  steps  and 
shook  hands.  The  Grand  Duchess  Michel  is  a  Baden 
Princess,  tall,  slight,  very  intelligent,  simply  dressed  in 
black  velvet,  and  of  course  a  pearl  necklace.  She  spoke 
to  me  in  English,  French,  and  German,  but  the  conversa- 
tion was  mostly  in   French.    She  seemed  well  up  ii> 


6c      LETTERS   OF  A  DIPLOMAT'S   WIFE    [May 

French  literature,  and  asked  me  what  I  thought  of  Zola's 
''L'Assommoir,"  was  really  surprised  when  I  said  I 
hadn't  read  it,  nor  in  fact  scarcely  anything  he  wrote.  She 
considered  it  a  marvel,  and  couldn't  understand  any 
French  woman  not  reading  every  word  that  came  from 
"un  des  plus  puissants  cerveaux  du  siecle."  She  knew 
too  all  the  pieces  de  theatre,  and  when  I  expressed  sur- 
prise that  she  had  had  time  to  read  so  much,  said  her  life 
in  the  Caucasus  was  so  lonely — no  society  of  any  kind, 
and  no  resources  outside  of  her  own  palace.  I  should 
think  she  was  a  maitresse  femme. 

After  leaving  her  I  was  taken  in  hand  again  by  my  two 
chamberlains,  and  walked  some  distance  across  one  or 
two  courts,  always  meeting  more  chamberlains  escort- 
ing colleagues,  principally  men,  all  in  uniform  and  orders, 
doing  the  same  thing,  and  trying  to  get  on  as  fast  as 
they  could.  My  next  visit  was  to  the  Grand  Duchess 
Constantine.  When  we  got  to  the  anteroom  and  small 
salon  we  found  them  full  of  gentlemen,  who  proved  to  be 
our  Mission,  who  had  arrived  a  few  minutes  before.  That 
made  a  slight  change  of  programme,  as  the  Grand 
Duke  decided  to  receive  W.  and  me  together  with  the 
Duchess — accordingly  we  were  received  first,  alone,  in  a 
small  room.  The  Grand  Duke  was  standing  close  to  the 
door;  the  Grand  Duchess  in  the  centre  of  the  room.  He 
is  a  sailor,  looks  very  intelligent.  She  has  been  very 
handsome,  carries  herself  beautifully,  and  has  a  splendid 
figure.  He  was  in  uniform — she  in  red  velvet  (she  didn't 
have  on  her  emeralds — I  suppose  we  shall  see  them  all 
to-morrow).  They  both  talked  very  easily  about  all 
sorts  of  things;  Greece  of  course  and  the  Schuylers,  of 
whom  she  spoke  very  warmly.  Her  daughter  is  the 
Queen  of  Greece — I  hope  we  shall  see  her,  as  I  have 
heard  Gert  talk  so  much  about  her.    The  Grand  Duch- 


1883]  FATIGUING  CEREMONIES  6i 

ess  said  she  was  tired  already,  and  the  Ceremonies  haven't 
begun  yet.  She  had  received  yesterday  lOO  ladies  of 
MoscoWo  They  came  in  groups  of  lo,  and  she  had  to 
find  something  to  say  to  each  one. 

As  soon  as  the  audience  was  over  W.  asked  permission, 
as  usual,  to  present  the  rest  of  the  Mission.  I  remained 
in  the  outer  salon  talking  to  the  ladies-in-waiting.  The 
apartment  is  high,  with  a  splendid  view  over  Moscow. 
They  pointed  me  out  several  churches  and  curious  roofs 
— were  much  interested  in  all  my  visits  and  my  clothes, 
supposed  I  had  quantities  of  trunks. 

After  that  I  departed  again  alone,  and  saw  the  Grand 
Duchess  Catherine,  who  was  very  amiable,  but  kept  me  a 
few  minutes  only,  as  she  had  so  many  people  to  receive. 
Then  I  took  another  long  walk,  and  up  several  flights  of 
narrow,  turning  stairs  (the  chamberlains  in  front  and 
Richard  behind)  to  the  Duchesse  d'Oldenburg.  The 
Belgian  Mission  was  being  received,  so  I  waited  in  the 
outer  salon,  and  again  W.  and  the  gentlemen  arrived, 
and  he  and  I  were  received  together.  Evidently  they 
like  it  better  when  we  can  go  together,  as  it  saves  time 
for  them — and  if  we  are  tired,  think  what  they  must  be. 
I  went  off  again  alone,  and  was  received  by  the  Grand 
Duchess  Wladimir,  who  is  charming — a  German  Prin- 
cess. She  is  young,  a  pretty  figure,  very  well  dressed  in 
white.  She  looked  rather  dehcate,  having  just  got  over 
a  rather  bad  attack  of  measles.  She  dreads  the  fatigue 
very  much  to-morrow,  and  had  asked  the  Empress  if  she 
might  have  a  folding-chair,  a  pliant  of  some  kind,  but  her 
"demande  n'a  pas  ete  accueillie  favorablement.  LTm- 
peratrice  elle-meme  sera  debout  tout  le  temps.  II  fau- 
drait  absolument  que  nous  fassions  comme  elle."  I  didn't 
mention  my  pliant,  as  I  am  quite  sure  no  one  will  notice 
to-morrow  anything  /  do. 


62      LETTERS   OF  A   DIPLOMAT'S   WIFE    [Mav 

That  finished  my  audience,  and  I  had  been  standing  or 
walking  since  I  left  the  Embassy,  so  I  was  glad  to  find 
the  carriage,  which  was  by  no  means  easy.  There  were 
quantities  at  the  Kremlin,  and  as  we  never  by  any  chance 
came  out  at  the  same  door  by  which  we  went  in,  and  the 
coachman  was  told  to  follow,  he  naturally  had  some  diffi- 
culty in  getting  it.  Also  it  is  raining  hard,  which  com- 
plicates matters.  There  are  carpets  down  to  the  doors, 
but  so  many  people  have  passed  over  them  that  they  are 
just  as  wet  and  muddy  as  the  streets.  We  met  all  the  rest 
of  the  Mission  at  the  Embassy  door,  and  then  there  was 
a  general  detente,  the  men  all  calling  for  their  servants 
to  get  them  out  of  their  uniforms,  and  to  bring  beer  and 
cigars. 

W.  came  in  to  tea.  He  looked  really  done  up — he 
had  been  at  it  steadily  since  12.  There  are  so  many 
Princes  and  Grand  Dukes  without  any  wives.  I  am 
writing  in  bits,  but  will  finish  as  usual  the  last  thing.  We 
have  had  a  small  dinner — the  other  French  Embassy 
(permanent),  Lagrene,  Consul,  and  Orloff.  Bencken- 
dorff  of  course.  Tliey  all  went  away  early,  as  our  day 
to-morrow  is  an  awful  one. 

It  is  pouring  still,  and  we  are  rather  melancholy  at 
the  thought  of  our  gala  carriages,  and  blue  and  silver 
liveries  in  a  heavy  rain.  Just  before  dinner  I  had  a  visit 
from  Philippe,  and  he  made  various  essais  with  my  dia- 
dem and  feathers.  He  is  to  be  here  at  six  to-morrow- 
morning  to  coifTer  me.  He  also  requested  that  he  might 
see  my  dress  so  as  to  make  his  coifYure  "harmoniser  avec 
I'ensemble."  I  wanted  to  see  it  too,  so  as  to  be  sure  that 
everything  was  right,  and  the  flowers  well  sewn  on.  It 
is  now  reposing  on  one  of  the  big  arm-chairs  in  the  dress- 
ing-room, covered  up  with  a  sheet. 

My  eyes  are  shutting  of  themselves,  so  I  will  stop. 


1883]   THE  START  FOR  THE  CORONATION     63 

Please  send  all  my  letters  on  to  America,  as  I  never  can 
write  two  accounts  of  our  life  here. 


To  H.  L.  K. 

Ambassade  de  France  A  Moscou, 

Maison  Klein,  Malaia  Dimitrofska, 

Dimanche,  27  Mai,  1883. 

I  am  perfectly  exhausted,  Dear,  after  the  most  beauti- 
ful, bewildering,  exhausting  day  I  have  ever  gone 
through.  We  got  home  at  4.30.  I  rested  a  little,  had  tea 
as  usual  in  my  boudoir  with  W.  and  Richard,  and  will 
write  as  much  as  I  can  while  I  am  still  under  the  impres- 
sion of  all  I  have  seen. 

I  was  up  at  5.30,  as  we  had  to  leave  here  at  7.  Phi- 
lippe was  very  punctual — put  on  diadem  and  feathers 
very  well.  Happily  it  was  all  blue,  rather  dark  (as  my 
dress  too  was  blue),  and  he  remarked  pleasantly,  to  put 
me  at  my  ease  I  think,  and  make  me  feel  as  comfortable 
as  I  could  at  that  hour  of  the  morning,  "Le  bleu  c'est 
le  fard  de  Madame."  He  couldn't  understand  that  I 
wouldn't  let  him  maquiller  my  face — said  all  the  Prin- 
cesses were  painted — but  I  really  couldn't  go  that. 

When  I  appeared  in  the  drawing-room,  the  men  of 
the  Embassy  were  very  complimentary  about  my  dress. 
We  went  in  our  three  carriages  (I  had  the  wdiite  moire 
cloak,  trimmed  with  dark  feathers  over  me),  W.  and  I 
and  Pontecoulant  in  the  first  gala  carriage  driven  by 
Leroy  (I  wish  you  could  have  seen  him,  as  much  taken 
up  with  his  dress  as  I  was  wdth  mine).  He  stood  giving 
directions  to  a  quantity  of  understrappers,  but  never 
touching  harness,  nor  even  whip,  until  we  appeared,  then 
got  on  his  box  as  we  got  into  the  carriage,  settled  him- 
self in  a  fine  pose,  and  we  started. 


64      LETTERS   OF  A  DIPLOMAT'S   WIFE    [May 

The  second  gala  carriage  driven  by  Hubert  (who 
looked  very  well)  came  next,  and  then  the  d'Orsay.  It 
really  was  a  very  pretty  cortege,  and  we  were  much 
looked  at  and  admired,  as  we  drove  very  slowly,  and 
jolting  very  much,  to  the  German  Embassy.  All  our 
colleagues  came  up  about  the  same  time.  Some  of  the 
gala  carriages  were  good,  the  Austrian,  but  ours  out  and 
out  the  best.     No  one  else  had  three. 

We  assembled  in  one  of  the  large  rooms  of  the  palace, 
and  then  walked  through  numerous  rooms,  galleries,  and 
finally  through  an  open  court,  entirely  covered  with  a 
red  carpet,  and  lined  with  soldiers  and  ofificers — every 
description  of  uniform.  The  Chevalier-Gardes,  magnifi- 
cent in  their  white  tunics,  silver  cuirasses  and  helmets. 
Happily  it  was  fine — I  don't  know  what  we  should  have 
done  in  the  rain,  and  also  so  early  in  the  morning  the 
sun  was  not  genant  (as  it  was  later  in  the  day).  The  long 
procession,  the  men  in  uniform  and  decorations;  the 
women  in  full  dress,  feathers  and  diadems,  was  most 
effective. 

I  left  my  cloak  in  the  carriage,  and  didn't  feel  chilly, 
but  some  of  the  women  were  uncomfortable,  and  had 
little  lace  and  fur  tippets.  We  filed  into  the  church 
(which  is  small),  and  into  the  Diplomatic  Tribune,  and 
settled  ourselves  quite  easily — there  was  plenty  of  room. 
The  effect  inside  was  dazzling :  tapers,  fiowers,  pictures, 
jewels,  quantities  of  women  already  seated,  all  in  the 
Kakoshnik,  and  a  general  impression  of  red  and  gold  in 
their  costumes.  All  the  Empress's  ladies  wear  red  vel- 
vet trains,  embroidered  in  gold.  People  seemed  to  be 
coming  in  all  the  time.  Deputations  from  the  provinces, 
officials  of  Moscow,  officers,  chamberlains,  a  moving 
mass  of  colour.  The  costume  of  the  Popes  was  gorgeous 
— cloth  of  gold  with  very  high  jewelled  mitres. 


1883]  ASSUMING  THE  CROWN  65 

We  waited  some  time  before  the  ceremony  began,  but 
there  was  so  much  to  see  that  we  didn't  mind,  and  from 
time  to  time  one  of  the  officials  came  and  stood  with  us 
a  little,  explaining  who  all  the  people  were.  The  whole 
church  was  hung  with  red,  and  red  carpets  everywhere. 
Just  in  the  middle  there  was  a  high  estrade,  covered  with 
red  velvet,  and  a  great  gold  baldaquin  with  Imperial 
eagles  embroidered  on  it.  It  was  all  surrounded  by  a 
gold  balustrade,  and  on  it  were  the  two  thrones.  A  little 
lower  on  the  same  estrade  were  the  places  of  the  Princes 
of  the  family,  and  the  Foreign  Princes. 

A  little  before  9  the  Imperial  family  began  to  arrive. 
Almost  all  the  Grand  Duchesses  in  trains  of  drap  d'ar- 
gent,  bordered  with  sable,  and  magnificent  jewels.  Then 
there  was  a  great  sound  of  trumpets,  and  cheering  out- 
side (those  curious,  suppressed  Russian  cheers),  and  they 
told  us  the  Emperor  and  Empress  were  coming.  They 
were  preceded  by  an  officer  of  the  Chevalier-Gardes,  with 
sabre-a-nu.  The  Emperor  was  in  full  uniform,  with  the 
blue  ribbon  of  St.  Andre.  The  Empress  quite  simple  in 
white  and  silver,  the  Imperial  eagles  embroidered  on  the 
front  of  her  dress;  no  diadem,  no  veil,  nor  jewels; 
her  train  carried  by  4  pages,  her  hair  quite  simply 
done — she  looked  so  young,  quite  like  a  school-girl. 
Then  followed  a  glittering  suite  of  Princes,  officers, 
etc. 

The  service  was  very  long,  the  chanting  quite  fine;  the 
men  have  beautiful,  deep  voices — I  cared  less  for  the  in- 
toning, they  all  end  on  such  a  peculiar  high  note.  I 
didn't  like  the  looks  of  the  Popes  either — the  long  beards 
worried  me.  Of  course  the  real  interest  was  when  the 
Emperor  took  the  crown  from  the  hands  of  the  Pope 
(kneeling  before  him)  and  put  it  on  his  own  head.  He 
looked  a  magnificent  figure,  towering  over  everybody, 


66      LETTERS   OF  A  DIPLOMAT'S   WIFE    [May 

as  he  stood  there  in  his  Imperial  robes,  cloth  of  gold 
lined  with  ermine,  and  a  splendid  jewelled  collar.  The 
crown  looked  high  and  heavy — made  entirely  of  jewels. 

His  two  brothers.  Grand  Dukes  Wladimir  and  Alexis, 
put  on  his  robes.  The  Grand  Duke  Wladimir  always 
stands  close  behind  his  brother.  He  has  a  stern,  keen 
face.  He  would  be  the  Regent  if  anything  should  hap- 
pen to  the  Emperor,  and  I  think  his  would  be  an  iron 
rule. 

As  soon  as  the  Emperor  was  crowned  the  Empress 
left  her  seat,  came  to  the  middle  of  the  platform,  made 
a  deep  curtsey  to  the  Emperor,  and  knelt.  Her  court 
ladies  then  gathered  around  her,  and  put  on  the  Imperial 
mantle,  also  in  cloth  of  gold  lined  with  ermine,  and  the 
same  jewelled  collar  like  the  Emperor's.  When  she  was 
dressed,  the  Emperor,  stooping  low  over  her,  put  on  her 
crown,  a  small  one  made  entirely  in  diamonds,  raised  her 
and  kissed  her.  As  she  stood  a  moment  she  almost  stag- 
gered back  under  the  weight  of  the  mantle — the  4  pages 
could  hardly  hold  it. 

Then  the  long  procession  of  Princes  and  Princesses 
left  their  seats  on  the  estrade,  and  passed  before  the 
Sovereigns.  First  came  his  two  brothers,  Wladimir  and 
Alexis.  They  kissed  the  Emperor,  then  bent  low  before 
the  Empress,  kissing  her  hand.  She  kissed  them  each 
on  the  forehead.  Next  came  the  two  young  Princes,  in 
uniform  like  their  father,  wearing  also  the  blue  ribbon 
of  St.  Andre,  and  the  little  Grand  Duchess  (aged  10) 
in  a  short  white  dress,  but  the  Kakoshnik. 

It  was  a  pretty  sight  to  see  the  children  bowing  and 
curtseying  low  to  their  parents.  Some  of  the  ladies' 
curtseys  were  wonderful — the  Arch  Duchess  Charles 
Louis  extraordinarily  graceful  (I  wonder  how  I  ever  shall 
get  through  mine — I  am  certainly  much  less  souple  than 


The   Emperor  Crowning  the   Empress.      Church  de   TAssomption. 


i883]  A  CURIOUS  FUNCTION  67 

these  ladies).  When  they  had  all  passed  the  Emperor 
went  alone  into  the  chapel  to  communier,  and  receive  the 
sacred  oil — the  Empress  remained  kneeling  outside. 

We  had  various  incidents  in  our  tribune — one  or  two 
ladies  fainted,  but  couldn't  get  out,  they  had  to  be 
propped  up  against  the  rail,  and  brought  round  with  fans, 
salts,  etc.     We  stood  for  three  hours  and  a  half. 

The  Emperor  and  Empress  left  the  church  with  the 
same  ceremony  (we  all  following),  and  then  there  was 
a  curious  function.  Under  a  dais,  still  in  their  court 
robes,  their  trains  carried  by  six  or  eight  officers,  they 
walked  around  the  enceinte,  going  into  three  or  four 
churches  to  make  their  devotions,  all  of  us  and  all  the 
other  Princes  following,  all  their  suites,  and  an  accom- 
paniment of  bells,  cannon,  music,  and  cheers.  (I  forgot 
to  say  that  when  the  Emperor  put  his  crown  on  his  head 
in  the  church,  the  cannon  announced  to  his  people  that 
their  sovereign  was  crowned.) 

We  had  a  few  drops  of  rain,  then  the  sun  came  out 
strong,  and  I  was  rather  wretched — however  General 
Pittie  came  to  my  rescue,  and  shaded  me  with  his  hat  (all 
the  men  were  bareheaded).  There  were  tribunes  all 
along  the  route  for  the  people  who  hadn't  been  able  to 
get  into  the  church;  in  one  of  them  all  the  younger  mem- 
bers of  the  Embassies,  as  of  course  all  couldn't  be  got 
inside.  These  two  were  all  gold  and  red,  filled  with 
women,  mostly  in  white,  and  men  in  uniform.  You  can't 
imagine  what  a  gorgeous  sight  it  was,  and  the  crowd 
below  packed  tight,  all  gaping  at  the  spectacle. 

We  didn't  dirty  our  dresses  (the  trains  of  course  we 
carried  in  our  arms),  I  don't  know  why,  as  the  red  car- 
pet was  decidedly  damp  and  muddyish  in  places.  We 
finally  arrived  at  the  Vieux  Palais,  where  we  were  to 
breakfast,  and  the  Emperor  and  Empress  were  also  to 


68      LETTERS   OF  A  DIPLOMAT'S   WIFE    [May 

have  a  little  respite  before  dining  in  state  with  their 
people. 

We  had  a  handsome  breakfast,  quantities  of  gold  and 
silver  plate,  and  many  Russian  dishes.  I  didn't  much  like 
the  looks  of  the  soup,  which  was  clear,  but  had  various 
things  floating  about  on  it — uncooked  fish,  Httle  black 
balls,  which  I  thought  might  be  caviar,  which  I  don't  ever 
like;  and  I  was  rather  wondering  what  I  should  eat  (I  was 
very  hungry),  when  my  neighbor,  Nigra,  the  Italian  Am- 
bassador, suggested  I  should  share  his  meal.  He  didn't 
like  Russian  cookery  either,  so  he  had  intrigued  with  a 
friendly  official,  who  was  going  to  bring  him  a  cold 
chicken  and  a  bottle  of  good  red  wine.  I  accepted  joy- 
fully, and  we  had  a  very  good  breakfast. 

I  think  we  were  about  three-quarters  of  an  hour  at 
table,  and  it  was  very  pleasant  to  sit  down  after  those 
hours  of  standing.  When  the  breakfast  was  over,  a  little 
after  two,  we  were  conducted  to  the  Imperial  dining- 
room,  a  square,  low  room  in  the  old  Kremlin  with  a 
vaulted  ceiling,  and  heavy  Byzantine  decorations;  quan- 
tities of  paintings  on  a  gold  ground,  bright  coloured  fres- 
coes, most  elaborate.  There  were  great  buffets  and 
tables  covered  with  splendid  gold  and  silver  plates,  flag- 
ons, vases,  etc.  At  the  end  of  the  room  was  a  square, 
raised  platform  covered  with  red,  and  a  splendid  dais,  all 
purple  velvet,  ermine,  and  gold  embroidery  where  the 
Imperial  couple  were  to  dine  with  their  faithful  subjects. 

We  strangers  were  merely  admitted  for  a  few  minutes 
to  see  the  beginning  of  the  meal,  and  then  we  retired,  and 
the  Emperor  remained  alone  with  his  people.  Of  course 
officers  and  officials  of  all  descriptions  were  standing 
close  round  the  platform.  There  was  a  large  table  to  the 
left  as  we  came  in,  where  almost  all  the  Russians  were 
already  assembled — all  the  women  in  the  national  dress, 


Empress   INIarie  In   her   Coronation  Robes. 


1883]  THE  STATE  BANQUET  69 

high  Kakoshnik,  long  white  lace  spangled  veil,  and  a  sort 
of  loose  hanging  sleeve  which  was  very  effective.  The 
ensemble  was  striking. 

Presently  we  heard  a  sound  of  music  and  trumpets, 
which  told  us  the  Royalties  were  approaching,  and  as 
they  came  near  we  heard  the  familiar  strains  of  the  Polo- 
naise from  Glinka's  opera  '*La  Vie  pour  le  Czar,"  which 
is  always  played  when  the  Emperor  and  Empress  ap- 
pear. They  came  with  the  usual  escort  of  officers  and 
chamberlains,  smiling  and  bowing  graciously  to  all  of  us. 
They  seated  themselves  (always  in  their  cloth  of  gold 
mantles,  and  crowns  on  their  heads)  on  the  two  throne 
chairs;  a  small  table  was  placed  in  front  of  them,  and  then 
the  dinner  began. 

The  soupiere  was  preceded  by  a  chamberlain  in  gold 
lace;  held  by  a  Master  of  Ceremonies,  and  flanked  on 
each  side  by  a  gigantic  Chevalier-garde,  sabre-a-nu. 
There  was  always  a  collection  of  officials,  chamberlains, 
pages,  etc.,  bringing  up  the  rear  of  the  cortege,  so  that  at 
each  entree  a  little  procession  appeared.  We  saw  three 
dishes  brought  in  with  the  same  ceremony — the  fish  was 
so  large  on  a  large  silver  dish  that  two  Masters  of  Cere- 
monies held  that. 

It  was  really  a  wonderful  sight,  like  a  picture  in  some 
old  history  of  the  Moyen  Age.  As  soon  the  the  Sov- 
ereigns had  taken  their  places  on  the  thrones  all  the 
Russians  at  their  table  sat  down  too.  We  couldn't,  be- 
cause we  had  nothing  to  sit  upon,  so  we  remained  stand- 
ing at  the  end  of  the  room,  facing  the  estrade.  They 
told  us  that  when  the  Emperor  raised  his  glass  and  asked 
for  wine  that  was  the  signal  for  us  to  retire;  and  that  it 
would  be  after  the  roast.  (All  our  instructions  were 
most  carefully  given  to  us  by  Benckendorff,  who  felt  his 
responsibility.)     Think  what  his  position  would  have 


70      LETTERS  OF  A  DIPLOMAT'S   WIFE    [Ma^ 

been  if  any  member  of  his  Embassy  had  made  a  "gaffe." 
Accordingly  as  soon  as  the  roast  made  its  appear- 
ance all  our  eyes  were  riveted  upon  the  Emperor.  He 
raised  his  glass  slowly  (very  high)  to  give  us  time. 
General  Schweinitz,  as  Doyen,  stepped  well  forward,  and 
made  a  very  low  bow.  We  all  bowed  and  curtseyed  low 
(my  knees  are  becoming  more  supple)  and  got  our- 
selves out  backwards.  It  wasn't  very  difficult,  as  we  had 
our  trains  over  our  arms. 

I  don't  think  we  shall  see  anything  more  curious  than 
that  state  banquet.  I  certainly  shall  never  see  again  a 
soup  tureen  guarded  by  soldiers  with  drawn  swords. 

lo  o'clock. 
We  dined  quietly,  everyone  giving  his  experiences — 
of  course  the  younger  members  of  the  Embassy,  who 
had  no  places  in  the  church,  had  a  better  impression  of 
the  ensemble  than  we  had.  They  said  the  excitement 
and  emotion  of  the  crowd  in  the  square  before  the  church 
was  extraordinary.  All  crossed  themselves,  and  many 
cried,  when  the  cannon  told  them  that  the  Emperor  was 
crowned.  They  seem  to  be  an  emotional,  superstitious 
race.  They  also  said  the  procession  around  the  courts, 
when  the  Emperor  and  Empress  were  going  to  the  va- 
rious churches,  was  wonderful — a  moving  mass  of  feath- 
ers, jewels,  banners,  bright  helmets,  and  cuirasses,  all 
glittering  in  the  sun. 

After  dinner  we  drove  about  a  little,  seeing  the  illu- 
minations, but  the  crowd  was  so  dense  we  could  hardly 
move,  though  the  soldiers  did  all  they  could,  and  battered 
the  people  about.  Then  it  began  to  rain  a  little,  so  I 
begged  to  come  home.  It  is  raining  quite  hard  now — 
I  hear  it  on  the  marquise.  Heavens  how  tired  I  am. 
Of  course  I  can't  write  half  of  what  I  have  seen,  but 


1883]  THE  QUEEN  OF  GREECE  71 

the  papers  will  keep  you  quite  au  courant.  Some  of  the 
newspaper  correspondents  were  in  the  church,  and  of 
course  plenty  in  the  tribunes  outside.  Our  carriages 
certainly  made  a  great  effect,  and  we  were  cheered  va- 
rious times  on  our  way  home. 

Madame  Hubert  talks  so  much  she  can  hardly  get 
me  my  things.  She  is  as  much  pleased  with  her  hus- 
band's appearance  as  I  am  with  mine.  What  an  experi- 
ence for  them,  when  you  think  that  she  had  never  been 
out  of  Villers-Cotterets  and  Bourneville  when  she  came 
to  us,  and  Paris  seemed  a  Paradise. 

Ambassade  de  France  a  Moscou, 

Maison  Klein,  Malaia  Dimitrofska, 

Monday,  May  28th,  1883. 

We  were  all  again  in  Court  dress  at  1 1  this  morning  to 
go  to  the  Palace  and  present  our  felicitations  to  the  Im- 
perial couple.  I  wore  the  same  blue  dress,  as  my  pink 
one  goes  on  to-night  for  the  ''courtag"  at  the  Palace.  It 
seems  there  was  some  misunderstanding  about  our  being 
received  this  morning,  so  some  of  our  colleagues  had 
come,  and  gone,  rather  put  out  at  the  vagueness  of  the 
instructions.  We  decided  to  remain,  as  we  had  arrived 
there  in  all  our  finery,  particularly  as  one  of  the  cham- 
berlains told  us  it  would  be  most  interesting.  Deputa- 
tions from  the  provinces  were  to  present  addresses  of 
felicitation  and  we  would  see  all  the  national  costumes. 

As  we  had  some  time  to  wait,  the  Greek  chamberlain 
suggested  that  we  should  take  advantage  of  that  op- 
portunity to  be  presented  to  the  Queen  of  Greece.  He 
thought  he  could  arrange  it,  so  he  went  ofif  to  her 
rooms,  and  presently  reappeared  with  the  maid  of  hon- 
our, Mile.  Colocotroni  (a  friend  of  Gertrude's),  and  we 
were  taken  at  once  to  the  Queen,  who  was  standing  in 


72      LETTERS   OF  A   DIPLOMAT'S   WIFE    [May 

a  small  salon  overlooking  the  river.  She  is  young  and 
handsome,  fair,  stoutish,  but  tall  enough  to  carry  it  off 
well,  and  was  chatty  and  sympathetic — said  she  supposed 
I  was  quite  tired  after  yesterday,  that  it  was  certainly  very 
trying;  that  the  person  who  was  the  least  tired  was  the 
Empress.  She  had  met  her  in  one  of  the  corridors  in 
the  interval  between  the  ceremony  at  the  church,  or 
rather  the  churches  (as  she  went  to  three  after  leaving 
the  Assomption).  She  had  taken  ofif  her  Imperial  mantle 
and  crown,  and  was  going  to  see  one  of  her  numerous 
relations  before  beginning  again. 

As  soon  as  our  audience  was  over  we  returned  to  the 
large  audience  hall,  where  we  found  Benckendorfif  tear- 
ing his  hair,  in  a  wild  state,  because  we  were  late — all  our 
colleagues  had  taken  their  places.  However  we  were  in 
time,  and  ranged  ourselves,  the  ladies  all  together  on 
the  right,  the  men  opposite.  I  was  the  Doyenne,  and 
stood  at  the  head  of  the  column  (as  neither  Lady  Thorn- 
ton nor  Mdme.  Schweinitz  was  there).  All  about  the 
room  were  groups  of  people  from  the  provinces  waiting 
their  turn,  but  there  was  such  a  crowd  of  uniforms  and 
costumes  that  one  could  hardly  distinguish  anything. 

Presently  the  Court  appeared — the  Emperor  always  in 
uniform,  the  Empress  in  a  very  handsome  train,  blue  vel- 
vet, embroidered  in  gold,  and  a  splendid  tiara,  necklace 
and  front  of  sapphires.  They  had  the  usual  train  of 
Princes,  chamberlains,  aides-de-camp,  etc.  As  soon  as 
they  had  taken  their  places  on  the  platform  all  the 
Missions  (men^  advanced  according  to  their  rank.  The 
Ambassador  made  a  few  steps  forward,  said  a  few  words 
of  felicitation  to  the  Emperor  (the  Mission  remaining  at 
a  respectful  distance  behind),  then  made  a  low  bow,  and 
all  retired  a  reculons. 

The  Austrian  Embassy  looked  very  well — the  Hun- 


1883]  COURT    DRESS  73 

garian  uniforms  are  so  handsome.  The  Americans  also 
very  well,  though  they  have  no  uniform,  wear  ordinary 
black  evening  clothes.  The  Admiral  and  his  two  aides- 
de-camp  of  course  wore  theirs,  but  it  is  so  quiet,  dark 
blue  with  little  lace,  and  no  orders,  that  one  would 
hardly  have  remarked  it  except  for  the  epaulettes  and 
aiguillettes. 

As  soon  as  all  the  men  of  the  Corps  Diplomatique  had 
passed  the  Empress  left  her  place  and  came  to  us.  Her 
train  was  carried  by  4  pages,  a  high  official,  red  velvet  and 
gold  lace,  carrying  the  extreme  end.  She  passed  down 
the  line  of  ladies,  saying  something  to  each  one.  I  heard 
her  speak  three  languages — English,  French,  and  Ger- 
man— quite  easily. 

We  waited  until  the  Court  retired,  and  then  there  was 
the  usual  stampede  for  the  carriages.  I  have  not  been 
out  again  this  afternoon.  We  start  for  our  Court  ball 
at  8.45,  and  of  course  dine  early.  I  was  interrupted  by 
Philippe,  who  came  to  coiffer  me,  having  as  usual 
stopped  in  the  lingerie  to  inspect  my  dress,  the  pink  one 
this  time.  He  tells  me  he  began  to  dress  some  of  the 
heads  for  to-night  at  12  this  morning. 

To  H.  L.  K. 

Ambassade  de  France  A  Moscou, 

Maison  Klein,  Malaia  Dimitrofska, 

Mardi,  29  Mai,  1883. 

I  will  begin  my  letter  while  I  am  waiting  to  go  with 
some  of  the  gentlemen  and  BenckendorfT  to  see  the 
preparations  for  the  great  people's  fete.  I  couldn't  write 
last  night,  I  was  so  tired  out.  Two  court  dresses  and 
functions,  and  hours  of  standing  is  a  good  deal  for  one 
day.     We  started  early,   at  a  quarter  to  9.     We   as- 


74      LETTERS   OF  A   DIPLOMAT'S   WIFE    [May 

sembled  in  the  same  room  in  the  old  Kremlin  where  the 
Imperial  couple  had  dined  this  afternoon.  Almost  all 
our  colleagues  and  some  of  the  swell  Russians  were  al- 
ready there,  and  everyone  moved  about,  talking  and 
looking  until  the  welcome  strains  of  the  march  told  us 
the  Emperor  and  Empress  were  coming. 

One  of  the  chamberlains  showed  me  some  of  the  most 
curious  old  bowls  and  flagons.  The  work  is  rather 
rough,  and  the  stones  enormous — not  well  cut — but  the 
effect  is  good,  half  barbaric.  The  Court  appeared  al- 
ways with  the  same  brilliant  suite — the  Empress  looked 
charming  in  a  pink  velvet  train,  embroidered  in  silver. 
All  the  Grand  Duchesses  in  drap  d'argent,  bordered  with 
beautiful  black  sable. 

As  soon  as  the  Court  arrived  the  polonaise  began;  the 
Emperor  making  the  first  with  Queen  of  Greece,  the 
Empress  with  Schweinitz.  It  was  a  charming  sight.  All 
the  trains  were  etalees  their  full  length.  The  gentleman 
takes  his  partner's  hand,  holding  it  very  high,  and  they 
make  a  stately  progress  through  the  rooms.  I  didn't 
dance  the  first  one.  We  had  a  very  good  view  of  the 
whole  thing.  It  was  a  beautiful  sight — the  men  all  in 
uniform,  with  orders,  and  broad  ribbons;  and  the  women 
with  their  trains  down  the  full  length.  The  Russian 
trains,  of  white  and  silver  bordered  with  fur,  made  a  great 
effect. 

The  Emperor  danced  (which  is  a  faqon  de  parler  only, 
as  one  walked  through  the  rooms)  with  the  Queen  of 
Greece,  Arch  Duchess  Charles  Louis,  and  the  Ambas- 
sadrices  Lady  Thornton,  Mdme.  Juares,  Countess  Dud- 
zeele,  and  me — the  Empress  with  the  6  Ambassadors. 
I  danced  the  second  polonaise  with  the  Grand  Duke 
Wladimir,  who  is  handsome  and  spirited  looking.  He 
told  me  vv^ho  many  of  the  people  were.     In  one  of  the 


1883]   A  POLONAISE  WITH  THE  EMPEROR     75 

rooms  were  all  the  Russian  women,  not  in  costume,  but 
in  ordinary  ball  dress,  all,  however,  wearing  the  Kakosh- 
nik  studded  with  jewels,  and  most  becoming  it  was. 

I  was  much  interested  (before  my  turn  came)  to  see 
how  the  ladies  got  back  to  their  places  after  having  been 
deposited  by  the  Emperor  in  the  middle  of  the  room.  He 
doesn't  conduct  his  partner  back  as  all  the  others  do. 
He  goes  back  to  his  own  place,  the  lady  makes  a  curtsey, 
and  gets  back  to  hers  across  the  room  backwards  as  well 
as  she  can.  They  seemed  to  get  through  all  right.  I 
rather  enjoyed  my  polonaise  with  the  Emperor.  He 
showed  me  quantities  of  people — a  splendid  man  from 
some  part  of  Asia  dressed  in  white,  with  jewels,  coloured 
stones  mostly,  all  down  the  front  of  his  coat,  and  pistols 
in  his  belt  with  jewelled  hilts.  Also  the  Khan  of  Khiva, 
with  all  the  front  of  his  high  fur  cap  covered  with  jewels, 
also  his  belt,  which  seemed  made  entirely  of  diamonds 
and  rubies. 

The  music  was  always  the  march  from  Glinka's  opera; 
each  band  in  turn  taking  it  up  as  the  cortege  passed 
through  the  rooms.  The  last  Polonaise  finished  about 
11.30,  and  the  Court  immediately  retired.  We  had  no 
refreshments  of  any  kind,  and  made  the  same  rush  for  the 
carriages. 

Our  rentree  to  the  Embassy  is  most  amusing — the 
whole  Mission  precedes  us,  and  when  we  arrive  we  find 
them  ranged  in  a  semicircle  at  the  foot  of  the  stair- 
case, waiting  to  receive  us.  Richard  says  he  never  un- 
derstood the  gulf  that  separates  an  Ambassador  Extra- 
ordinary from  ordinary  mortals  until  he  accompanied  his 
brother  to  Moscow. 


76      LETTERS   OF  A  DIPLOMAT'S   WIFE    [May 

5  o'clock. 

We  had  rather  an  interesting  afternoon.  We  met  one 
of  the  committee  at  the  place,  sort  of  great  plain,  or 
meadow,  where  the  Fete  Populaire  is  to  be,  near  the 
Petrofski  Palace,  where  the  Emperor  stayed  before  he 
made  his  public  entree  into  Moscow,  who  showed  us 
everything.  There  are  quantities  of  little  sheds  or  ba- 
raques,  where  everybody  (and  there  will  be  thousands, 
he  tells  us)  will  receive  a  basket  with  a  meat  pate,  a 
pate  of  confitures,  a  cake,  and  a  package  of  bonbons. 
There  are  also  great  barrels  of  beer,  where  everyone  can 
go  with  a  mug  and  drink  as  much  as  he  can  hold. 

We  asked  M.  (I  forget  his  name)  how  it  was  possible 
to  take  precautions  with  such  a  crowd  of  people,  but  he 
said  they  anticipated  no  danger,  it  was  the  "people's 
day,"  which  sounded  to  us  rather  optimistic.  It  was 
rather  nice  driving  about. 

Now  I  have  just  been,  at  the  request  of  Lhermite,  to 
look  at  his  table,  as  we  have  our  first  big  dinner  to-night 
(all  Russians);  all  the  flowers,  ''Roses  de  France,"  have 
just  arrived  from  Paris — three  nights  on  the  road;  they 
look  quite  fresh  and  beautiful, — were  packed  alone  in 
large  hampers.  I  shall  wear  my  blue  tulle  ball-dress 
to-night,  as  we  go  to  the  ball  at  the  Governor's  Palace 
after  dinner. 

Wednesday,  30th. 

Our  dinner  was  pleasant  last  night.  As  it  was  entirely 
Russian  we  had  the  curious  meal  they  all  take  just  be- 
fore dinner.  A  table  was  spread  in  the  small  salon  open- 
ing into  the  dining-room,  with  smoked  and  salted  fish, 
caviare,  cucumbers,  anchovies,  etc.  They  all  partook, 
and  then  we  passed  into  the  dining-room,  where  the  real 
business  began.     I  sat  between   M.  de  Giers,  Foreign 


1883]  A  DINNER  AND  A  BALL  n 

Minister,  and  Count  Worontzoff,  Ministre  de  la  Cour. 
They  were  very  pleasant,  and  rather  amusing  over  the 
exigencies  of  the  suites  of  the  foreign  Princes;  the 
smaller  the  Power  the  more  important  the  chamberlains, 
equerries,  etc, — rather  like  our  own  experience  the  year 
of  the  Exhibition  in  Paris,  where  a  Baden  equerry,  I 
think,  was  forgotten  (which  of  course  was  most  improper 
at  the  Quai  d'Orsay),  and  most  deUcate  negotiations 
were  necessary.  Both  gentlemen  were  very  complimen- 
tary over  the  dinner  and  the  flowers — asked  where  in 
Moscow  we  had  been  able  to  find  them,  and  could  hardly 
believe  they  had  arrived  this  morning,  three  nights  and 
three  days  on  the  road.  They  were  beautiful,  those 
lovely  pink  "Roses  de  France,"  which  looked  quite 
charming  with  the  dark  blue  Sevres  china. 

The  guests  went  ofT  about  lo;  and  we  half  an  hour 
later  to  the  great  ball.  I  wore  my  light  blue  tulle 
with  silver  braid;  and  I  will  add  that  I  left  the  greater 
part  of  the  tulle  at  the  Palace.  Happily  the  silk  under- 
skirt was  strong,  or  else  I  should  have  stood  in  my  petti- 
coats. The  crowd  and  heat  was  something  awful — the 
staircase  was  a  regular  bousculade,  and  I  was  thankful 
those  big  Russian  spurs  merely  tore  my  flounces,  and 
didn't  penetrate  any  further.  We  finally  arrived,  strug- 
gling and  already  exhausted,  in  the  ballroom,  where  we 
found  all  the  Grand  Dukes  and  Grand  Duchesses  already 
assembled  to  receive  the  Emperor. 

We  had  some  Httle  time  to  wait,  so  they  all  came  over 
and  talked  to  us.  The  Queen  of  Greece  is  most  attrac- 
tive— so  simple.  She  noticed  that  my  dress  was  torn  and 
flowers  crushed,  but  said,  what  was  quite  true,  that  no 
one  would  remark  it  in  the  crowd.  We  soon  heard  the 
sound  of  the  March,  and  then  there  was  such  a  rush 
towards  the  door  by  which  the  Emperor  and  Empress 


78      LETTERS   OF  A   DIPLOMAT'S   WIFE    [Mav 

were  to  enter  that  we  quickly  withdrew  into  the  embra- 
sure of  the  window,  and  let  the  torrent  pass.  They  tried 
to  make  a  circle,  but  it  was  impossible.  The  crowd  was 
dense.  W.  and  I  made  our  way  quickly  to  the  head  of 
the  stairs  and  waited  there,  as  they  had  told  us  the  Em- 
peror would  not  stay  long — merely  make  a  tour  through 
the  rooms. 

They  appeared  very  soon,  shook  hands  with  us  both, 
and  seemed  very  glad  to  get  away.  The  Empress  was 
in  light  blue,  with  a  beautiful  diamond  tiara.  It  is  rather 
pretty  to  see  the  Grand  Duke  Wladimir  ahvays  close  to 
his  brother,  to  shield  him  from  any  danger.  We  were 
all  rather  cross  when  we  got  home. 

This  morning  I  have  been  shopping  with  W.,  Richard, 
and  Pontecoulant.  It  is  rather  an  unsatisfactory  per- 
formance, as  we  can't  either  speak  or  understand  Russian. 
In  the  bazaars  and  real  Moscow  shops  they  know  nothing 
but  Russian.  We  take  the  little  polygot  boy  with  us  (al- 
ways ahead  in  his  little  droshky)  but  as  he  invariably  an- 
nounces "la  grande  Ambassade"  we  see  the  prices  go  up. 
Some  of  the  enamel  and  gold  and  silver  work  is  beauti- 
ful. Richard  was  quite  fascinated  with  the  Madonnas, 
with  their  black  faces  and  wands,  set  in  a  handsome  frame 
of  gold,  with  light  blue  enamel.  He  bought  two,  one 
for  Louise  and  one  for  me,  which  I  am  delighted  to  have. 
We  bought  various  little  boxes,  some  of  lacquer,  others 
in  silver,  rather  prettily  worked,  and  a  variety  of  fancy 
spoons,  buckles,  etc. 

I  must  stop  now  and  dress.  We  dine  at  6,  so  as  to  be 
at  the  Opera  at  9.  We  shall  go  "en  gala,"  our  three 
carriages,  as  it  is  a  fine  warm  night.  The  detective  is  a 
little  anxious  for  to-night  (it  would  be  such  a  good  op- 
portunity to  get  rid  of  all  the  Russian  Princes,  to  say 
nothing  of  the  foreigners).    He  and  Pontecoulant  sug- 


1883]  A    NIGHT    AT    THE    OPERA  79 

gested  to  W.  that  I  should  be  left  at  home,  but  I  pro- 
tested vigorously.  If  they  all  go,  I  am  going  too.  I 
don't  feel  very  nervous,  I  wonder  why;  for  it  really  is  a 
little  uncomfortable — unusual  to  hesitate  about  going  to 
the  Opera  because  one  might  be  blown  up. 


To  H,  L.  K. 

Jeudi,  May  31st,  1883. 

I  was  too  tired  to  write  last  night,  though  the  opera 
was  over  fairly  early.  It  was  a  beautiful  sight,  the  house 
brilliantly  lighted  and  crowded,  nothing  but  uniforms, 
orders,  and  jewels.  There  was  one  dark  box,  which  of 
course  attracted  much  attention;  the  Americans — all  the 
men  in  black,  except  the  three  naval  officers — (we  were 
acclames  all  along  the  route,  and  I  must  say  Leroy  and 
Hubert  looked  very  well  in  their  tricornes  and  powdered 
wigs).  I  wore  the  creme  embroidered  velvet  with  blue 
satin  front,  tiara,  and  blue  feathers  in  my  hair.  I  fancy 
Philippe  had  made  a  sort  of  tower  on  the  top  of  my 
head,  but  he  again  assured  me  I  must  have  a  "coiffure  de 
circonstance." 

The  square  before  the  Opera  was  brilliantly  lighted 
(they  certainly  light  most  beautifully  in  Russia — thou- 
sands of  candles  everywhere),  a  red  carpet  down,  and 
quantities  of  palms  and  flowers — always  also  quantities 
of  gilded  gentlemen.  We  didn't  wait  very  long  for  the 
Court  to  appear — about  a  quarter  of  an  hour — and  were 
much  taken  up  looking  at  everything,  and  everybody, 
and  trying  to  recognize  our  friends.  A  large  box  at  one 
end  of  the  house,  opposite  the  stage,  was  reserved  for 
the  Royalties,  all  draped  of  course  in  red  and  gold. 

Everyone  rose  w^hen  the  Emperor  and  Empress  ar- 
rived, always  with  their  brilliant  cortege  of  Princes.    One 


8o      LETTERS   OF  A  DIPLOMAT'S   WIFE    [May 

of  the  most  striking  uniforms  was  the  Prince  of 
Montenegro's,  but  they  all  made  a  fine  show,  and  a  most 
effective  background  for  the  women — the  orchestra  play- 
ing the  Russian  Hymn,  the  chorus  singing  it,  all  the 
house  applauding,  and  all  eyes  fixed  on  the  Royal  box. 

It  was  really  magnificent,  and  the  Emperor  looked 
pleased.  They  gave  the  first  act  of  Glinka's  opera  "La 
Vie  pour  le  Czar."  When  the  curtain  fell  the  whole 
house  rose  again;  when  the  Emperor  and  Empress  left 
their  box  there  was  a  general  movement  among  the  peo- 
ple, and  some  of  our  colleagues  had  come  to  pay  us  a  visit 
when  Count  Worontzoff  (Ministre  de  la  Cour)  appeared 
and  said,  "Sa  Majeste"  hoped  we  would  come  and  have 
tea  with  her,  and  he  would  have  the  honour  of  showing 
us  the  way;  so  he  gave  me  his  arm  and  took  me  to  the 
foyer,  which  was  very  well  arranged  with  flowers,  plants, 
and  red  carpets. 

There  were  several  round  tables.  He  took  me  to  the 
Empress'  table,  where  were  the  Queen  of  Greece,  Grand 
Duchesses  Constantine  and  Wladimir,  Lady  Thornton, 
and  Madame  Jaures;  also  Nigra,  Schweinitz,  and  a 
brother  of  the  Shah  de  Perse.  The  Empress  looked  so 
young,  in  white,  with  a  broad  red  ribbon,  and  splendid 
diamonds.  The  Queen  of  Greece  was  charming,  asked 
me  if  I  ever  found  time  to  write  to  Francis.  The  Em- 
peror didn't  sit  down — he  walked  about  between  the 
tables,  and  talked  to  everybody. 

We  stayed,  I  should  think,  about  half  an  hour  at  the 
tea-table,  and  then  went  back  to  the  theatre.  The  ballet 
was  long,  but  interesting,  all  the  mazurkas  of  the  Empire 
were  danced  in  costume.  We  got  our  carriages  easily 
enough,  and  the  arrangements  were  good.  The  younger 
members  of  the  Mission  who  didn't  go  for  tea  with  the 
Empress  found  the  entr'acte  long. 


i883]  AFTER  THE  FESTIVITIES  8i 

Saturday,  June  2d. 

I  couldn't  write  yesterday,  Dear,  for  l  was  in  bed  until 
dinner-time,  thoroughly  tired  out.  Neither  W.  nor  I 
went  to  the  ball  on  Thursday  night  given  by  the  "No- 
blesse de  Moscou."  I  hoped  to  be  able  to  go  to  the  ball 
of  the  German  Embassy  last  night,  but  I  couldn't  do  that 
either.  I  felt  rather  better  about  6  o'clock,  and  sent  for 
my  dress,  as  W.  particularly  wanted  me  to  go,  but  the 
minute  I  stood  up  and  tried  to  dress  I  was  half  fainting, 
so  there  was  no  use  persisting. 

The  fatigue  has  been  something  awful,  and  the  hours 
of  standing  have  made  it  impossible  to  put  on  my  Paris 
shoes,  and  I  have  been  obliged  to  buy  white  satin  boats 
at  one  of  the  Moscow  shoemakers.  The  bootmakers 
will  make  his  fortune,  as  it  seems  everybody  is  in  the 
same  state.  The  Empress  even  can't  wear  her  usual 
shoes,  and  all  the  women  have  left  off  coquettish  little 
shoes  that  match  their  dresses,  and  taken  to  these  rather 
primitive  chaussures. 

W.  and  all  the  gentlemen  went  to  the  ball,  and  said 
it  was  very  handsome — everything,  silver,  supper,  ser- 
vants, etc.,  had  been  sent  from  Berlin.  Madame 
Schweinitz,  who  has  a  young  baby,  arrived  from  Peters- 
burg the  morning  of  the  ball.  Count  Eulenbourg — one 
of  the  German  Emperor's  Maitres  des  Ceremonies — had 
also  arrived  to  decide  about  the  questions  of  precedence, 
place,  etc.  The  Court  remained  to  supper,  so  of  course 
the  Ambassadors  were  obliged  to  stay.  W.  got  home  at 
2  o'clock,  very  late  for  this  country,  where  everything 
begins  early. 

Richard  and  Pontecoulant  are  getting  great  friends. 
Pontecoulant  blagues*  him  all  the  time — says  he  is  get- 
ting a  perfect  courtier,  and  that  his  electors  in  the  Seine 

♦Teases. 


82      LETTERS    OF   A   DIPLOMAT'S    WIFE    [Juke 

Inferieure  would  be  scandalized  if  they  could  see  him.  I 
must  dress  now  for  the  "Fete  Populaire,"  and  will  write 
more  when  I  get  back. 

9  o'clock. 

I  have  retired  to  my  own  quarters.  W.  dines  with 
Nigra,  so  I  have  remained  in  my  dressing-room,  as 
I  have  still  a  ''fond  de  fatigue."  The  Fete  Popu- 
laire  was  interesting.  The  day  has  been  beautiful,  and 
there  was  not  a  hitch  of  any  kind.  The  drive  out 
w^as  interesting,  on  account  of  the  people,  a  steady  stream 
of  peasants  of  all  ages  going  the  same  way.  We  went 
at  once  to  the  Loge  Imperiale,  a  large  paviHon  erected  at 
the  entrance  facing  the  great  plain.  The  space  was  so 
enormous  that  one  hardly  distinguished  anything.  The 
booths  and  towers  looked  like  little  spots,  and  they  were 
very  far  ofif.  The  Emperor  and  Empress  never  left  the 
Loge.  He  certainly  didn't  go  dow^n  and  w^alk  about 
among  the  people,  as  some  enthusiastic  gentlemen  had 
told  us  he  would.  Of  course  all  the  same  people  were 
assembled  in  the  Loge — Diplomatists,  Court  officials, 
officers,  etc.     There  was  a  cold  lunch  ahvays  going  on. 

There  were  many  white  dresses — all  Russian  women 
wear  white  a  great  deal  at  any  age.  The  Princess 
Kotchoubey — 78  years  old — who  put  the  Imperial  man- 
tle on  the  Empress  the  day  of  the  sacre,  and  w^ho  had 
done  the  same  thing  for  the  late  Empress,  was  dressed 
entirely  in  white,  bonnet,  mantle,  everything. 

The  Court  remained  about  an  hour,  and  we  left  as  soon 
as  they  did.  There  w^as  some  little  delay  getting  our 
carriages,  but  on  the  whole  the  thing  w^as  well  managed. 
Already  some  people  were  coming  away  looking  very 
smiling,  and  carrying  their  baskets  most  carefully.  I  will 
bring  you  one  of  the  mugs  they  gave  me  with  the  chiffre 
of  the  Emperor  and  Empress,  and  the  date. 


1883]  A  DIPLOMATIC  DINNER  83 

Sunday,  June  3d. 

I  stayed  at  home  all  the  morning,  quite  pleased  to  have 
nothing  to  do.  This  afternoon  W.,  Pontecoulant,  and  I 
went  for  a  little  turn.  We  got  out  of  the  carriage  at  the 
Kremlin,  and  walked  about,  having  a  quiet  look  at 
everything.  The  view  from  the  terrace  was  enchanting, 
the  afternoon  sun  lighting  up  all  the  curious  old  build- 
ings, and  bringing  out  the  colours  of  everything. 

This  evening  we  have  had  a  diplomatic  dinner.  I  was 
between  Schweinitz  and  Sir  Edward  Thornton.  Both  of 
them  talked  a  great  deal.  After  dinner  I  talked  some 
time  to  Hunt,  whom  I  Hke  very  much.  He  says  many 
people,  Russians  particularly,  couldn't  understand  why 
he  didn't  wear  his  uniform — "ce  n'est  pas  tres  poli  pour 
nous."  They  can't  conceive  that  the  representative  of  a 
great  Power  shouldn't  be  attired  in  velvet  and  gold  hke 
all  the  rest  of  the  Embassies. 

The  table  was  again  covered  with  pink  roses.  They 
just  last  through  the  dinner,  and  fall  to  pieces  as  soon  as 
they  are  taken  out  of  the  vases.  Some  of  them  looked 
so  fresh,  not  even  in  full  bloom,  that  I  thought  I  could 
send  some  French  roses  to  Countess  Pahlen,  and  the 
moment  we  left  the  dining-room  Thermite  took  them 
ofif  the  table,  but  they  fell  to  pieces  in  his  hands,  covering 
the  floor  with  their  petals. 

Monday,  June  4th. 
This  morning  we  have  been  photographed  in  the 
court-yard — the  whole  establishment,  gala  carriages,  ser- 
vants, horses,  moujiks,  maids,  cooks,  etc.  First  there 
was  the  ''classic"  group  of  the  Mission,  W.  and  I  seated 
in  front,  with  all  the  gentlemen  standing  around  us.  It 
was  very  long  getting  the  poses  all  right  so  as  to  show 
everybody  in  an  advantageous  light;  and  as  it  is  (judging 


84      LETTERS   OF  A  DIPLOMAT'S   WIFE    Qune 

from  the  cliche)  Francois  de  Corcelle  looks  as  if  he  was 
throttling  me.  Then  came  the  group  of  the  whole  party, 
and  it  was  amusing  to  see  how  eager  the  Russian  maids 
and  the  stable-men  were  to  be  well  placed.  They  stood 
as  still  as  rocks.  We  waited  a  little  to  see  the  gala  car- 
riages and  horses  taken,  but  that  was  too  long.  The 
horses  were  nervous,  and  never  were  quiet  an  instant. 
Now  someone  has  gone  to  get  a  drum — they  think  the 
sudden  noise  may  make  them  all  look  in  the  same  direc- 
tion for  a  moment. 

W.  and  I  have  been  out  for  a  turn — to  the  Kremlin 
of  course,  which  is  really  the  most  interesting  part  of 
Moscow.  There  is  always  the  same  crowd  hurrying  and 
jostling  each  other.  We  went  all  over  St.  Basile.  The 
inside  is  curious,  with  a  succession  of  rooms  and  dark  re- 
cesses, but  the  outside  is  unique;  such  an  agglomeration 
of  domes,  steeples,  bell-towers;  all  absolutely  different  in 
shape  and  colour — perfectly  barbarous,  but  very  strik- 
ing. 

W.  enjoys  our  quiet  afternoon  drives,  the  perpetual 
representation,  seeing  always  the  same  people,  and  say- 
ing and  hearing  the  same  things,  is  beginning  to  tire 
him.  It  is  a  curious  Hfe.  We  see  nothing  but  the  Court 
and  the  people — no  haute  bourgeoisie  nor  intermediate 
class,  and  yet  they  exist,  people  in  finance  and  com- 
mercial affairs.  They  certainly  have  had  no  part  in  the 
show — I  should  think  there  must  be  great  discontent. 
The  young  generation  certainly  will  never  be  satisfied  to 
be  kept  entirely  out  of  everything.  Some  of  them  have 
travelled,  been  educated  in  England,  have  handsome 
houses,  English  horses,  etc.,  but  apparently  they  don't 
exist — at  least  we  have  never  seen  any. 

I  must  stop,  as  we  dress  and  dine  early  for  the  Palace 
Ball.     My  Dear,  my  dress  is  frightfully  green  (Delan- 


1883]  A  PALACE  BALL  85 

noy's  green  velvet  coat  over  pink  tulle).  Of  course  we 
chose  it  by  candle-light,  when  it  looked  charming;  but 
as  we  dress  and  start  by  daylight  I  am  rather  anxious. 
I  consulted  Pontecoulant,  who  came  in  just  as  the  maids 
were  bringing  it  in.  He  said,  "C'est  bien  vert,  Madame." 
Let  us  hope  that  the  light  of  thousands  of  wax  candles 
may  have  a  subduing  effect. 

To  G.  K.  S, 

Ambassade  de  France,  Moscow, 
Maison  Klein,  Malaia  Dimitrofska, 
June  5,  1883. 

The  Palace  ball  was  quite  beautiful  last  night.  I  had 
some  misgivings  as  to  my  dress  until  we  got  to  the 
Palace,  as  the  gentlemen  of  the  Embassy  had  evidently 
found  me  very  green  when  we  assembled  in  the  great 
hall  before  starting;  however  as  soon  as  we  arrived  in 
the  big  room  of  the  Palace  where  we  were  all  marshalled. 
Countess  Linden  (an  American  born)  said  to  me  at  once 
"Oh,  Mdme.  Waddington,  how  lovely  your  pink  roses 
look  on  the  dark  blue  velvet,"  so  I  knew  it  was  all  right. 
I  wore  that  dress  of  Delannoy's  which  she  was  sure  would 
be  most  effective — pink  tulle  skirts — with  a  green  velvet 
habit  (chosen  of  course  by  candle-light)  so  that  it  did 
look  very  green  by  daylight,  and  a  wreath  of  pink  roses 
round  the  decollete.  I  remember  both  Henrietta  and 
Pauline  were  a  little  doubtful — but  it  certainly  made 
more  effect  than  any  dress  I  wore  except  the  blue  man- 
teau  de  cour.  I  will  tell  Delannoy.  We  always  go  in  by 
a  special  side  entrance  to  these  Palace  functions,  which 
is  a  pity,  as  we  miss  the  grand  staircase,  which  they 
told  us  was  splendid  with  red  carpets,  soldiers,  and  gold- 
laced  gentlemen  to-night.  We  waited  some  time,  an 
hour  certainly,  before  the  Court  came,  but  as  all  the 


86      LETTERS   OF  A  DIPLOMAT'S   WIFE   Qune 

Corps  Diplomatique  were  assembled  there  it  was  pleas- 
ant enough,  and  we  all  compared  our  experiences  and  our 
fatigue,  for  everybody  was  dead  tired — the  men  more 
than  the  women. 

The  rooms  are  magnificent — very  high,  and  entirely 
lighted  by  wax  candles — thousands;  one  of  the  cham- 
berlains told  me  how  many,  but  I  would  scarcely  dare  to 
say.  The  Court  arrived  with  the  usual  ceremony  and 
always  the  same  brilliant  suite  of  officers  and  foreign 
Princes.  The  Emperor  and  Empress  looked  very  smil- 
ing, and  not  at  all  tired.  She  was  in  white,  with  splendid 
diamonds  and  the  broad  blue  ribbon  of  St.  Andre.  He 
always  in  uniform.  As  soon  as  they  appeared  the  po- 
lonaises began,  this  time  three  only,  which  the  Emperor 
danced  with  the  ladies  of  the  family.  I  danced  the  first 
with  the  Grand  Duke  Wladimir.  He  is  charming  and 
amiable,  but  has  a  stern  face  when  he  isn't  smiling.  I 
think  if  the  Russians  ever  feel  his  hand  it  will  be  a  heavy 
one.  I  danced  the  second  with  the  Grand  Duke  Alexis, 
and  looked  on  at  the  third.  It  was  not  nearly  so  fine  a 
sight  as  the  Court  ball  at  the  old  palace.  There  the  mixt- 
ure of  modern  life  and  dress  and  half  barbaric  costumes 
and  ornamentations  was  so  striking;  also  the  trains  made 
such  an  effect,  being  all  etaled  one  was  obliged  to  keep  a 
certain  distance,  and  that  gave  a  stately  air  to  the  whole 
thing  which  was  wanting  last  night  when  all  the  women 
were  in  ordinary  ball  dress,  not  particularly  long,  so  that 
the  cortege  was  rather  crowded  and  one  saw  merely  a 
mass  of  jewelled  heads  (the  dress  was  lost).  Also  they 
merely  walked  around  the  ballroom,  not  going  through 
all  the  rooms  as  we  did  at  the  old  palace. 

When  the  polonaises  were  over  there  were  one  or  two 
waltzes.  The  Empress  made  several  turns,  but  with  the 
Princes  only,  and  we  stood  and  looked  on. 


1883]  AN  EPISODE  87 

While  we  were  waiting  there  until  someone  should 
come  and  get  us  for  some  new  function  I  heard  a  sort  of 
scuffle  behind  me  and  a  woman's  impatient  voice  saying 
in  English  ''I  can't  bear  it  another  moment,"  and  a  sound 
of  something  falling  or  rolling  across  the  floor.     I  turned 

round  and  saw  Mdme.  A (a  secretary's  wife,  also  an 

American)  apparently  struggling  with  something,  and 
very  flushed  and  excited.  I  said,  "What  is  the  matter?" 
"I  am  kicking  off  my  shoes."  "But  you  can  never  put 
them  on  again."  "I  don't  care  if  I  never  see  them  again 
— I  can't  stand  them  another  minute."  "But  you  have 
to  walk  in  a  cortege  to  supper  with  the  Imperial  party." 
"I  don't  care  at  all,  I  shall  walk  in  my  stockings,"  then 
came  another  little  kick,  and  the  slipper  disappeared,  roll- 
ing underneath  a  heavy  damask  curtain.  I  quite  sympa- 
thized with  her,  as  my  beautiful  white  slippers  (Moscow 
manufacture)  were  not  altogether  comfortable,  but  I 
think  I  should  not  have  had  the  strength  of  mind  to  dis- 
card them  entirely.  When  I  was  dressing,  Adelaide  tried 
to  persuade  me  that  I  had  better  put  on  the  pink  satin 
slippers  that  matched  my  dress;  but  my  experience  of  the 
hours  of  standing  at  all  Russian  Court  functions  had  at 
least  taught  me  not  to  start  with  anything  that  was  at  all 
tight. 

While  we  were  looking  at  the  dancing  the  Grand  Duke 
Michel  came  over  and  asked  me  if  I  wouldn't  come  and 
stand  a  little  with  the  Grand  Duchesses.  He  took  me  to  a 
little  group  where  were  the  Grand  Duchesses  Michel  and 
Constantine  and  the  Queen  of  Greece  (she  is  always  so 
gay  and  natural).  They  at  once  asked  me  who  had  made 
my  dress,  and  what  color  it  was.  They  had  been  talking 
about  it,  and  couldn't  agree.  The  Grand  Duchess  Con- 
stantine had  on  her  emeralds,  and  beautiful  they  were — 
blocks  of  stone,  rather  difficult  to  w^ear.     She  must  have 


88      LETTERS   OF  A  DIPLOMAT'S  WIFE    Qune 

been  very  handsome,  has  still  a  beautiful  figure,  and  holds 
herself  splendidly. 

We  talked  music  a  little — she  said  I  ought  to  hear 
some  of  the  people's  songs.  I  should  like  to  very  much, 
but  there  doesn't  seem  any  place  where  one  can  hear  the 
national  songs.  The  men  of  the  Embassy  went  one  night 
to  the  ''Hermitage,"  where  there  was  a  little  of  every- 
thing, and  did  hear  some  of  the  peasants  singing  their 
national  airs,  but  they  didn't  seem  to  think  I  could  go. 
While  we  were  still  talking  there  was  a  move,  and  they 
said  the  Empress  (who  had  been  dancing  all  the  time  in 
a  small  circle  made  for  her  at  her  end  of  the  ballroom 
and  very  strictly  kept)  was  going  to  have  tea.  All  the 
Court  and  suite  followed,  and  I  was  rather  wondering 
how  to  get  back  to  my  place  and  my  colleagues  when  a 
tall  aide-de-camp  came  up  and  said  he  would  have  the 
honour  of  conducting  me  to  Her  Majesty's  tea — so  we 
started  ofT  across  several  rooms  and  corridors,  which 
were  crowded,  and  arrived  at  a  door  where  the  two  gi- 
gantic negroes  were  standing.  He  said  something — the 
doors  flew  open — he  made  me  a  low  bow  and  retired  (as 
he  couldn't  come  any  farther),  and  I  found  myself  stand- 
ing alone  in  a  large  room  with  four  or  five  tables — every- 
one seated.  For  a  moment  I  didn't  know  quite  what 
to  do,  and  felt  rather  shy,  but  the  Princess  Kotchoubey, 
Grande  Maitresse,  who  was  standing  in  the  middle  of  the 
room,  came  forward  at  once  and  took  me  to  the  Duch- 
esse  d'Edimbourg's  table,  where  there  were  .also  the 
Arch-Duchess  Charles  Louis,  the  Duchess  of  Olden- 
burg, a  young  Hessian  Prince,  and  my  two  colleagues, 
Lady  Thornton  and  Madame  Jaures. 

We  had  tea  and  ices — didn't  talk  much,  except  the 
Duchess  of  Edinburgh,  who  seems  clever  and  ready  to 
talk — but  I  wasn't  near  her.     I  didn't  see  all  the  Ambas- 


i883]  HER  MAJESTY'S  TEA  89 

sadors,  mine  certainly  wasn't  there,  and  of  course  very 
few  comparatively  of  our  colleagues,  as  only  Ambas- 
sadors and  their  wives  were  invited  to  Her  Majesty's  tea 
(no  small  fry,  like  Ministers). 

I  had  the  explanation  of  W.'s  absence  later.  When 
the  Court  moved  ofif  to  tea  General  Wolseley  suggested 
that  W.  should  come  and  smoke  a  cigar  in  his  room.  He 
was  lodged  at  the  Kremlin  with  his  Prince,  the  Duke  of 
Edinburgh.  He,  like  a  true  Briton,  had  enough  of  bow- 
ing and  standing.  W.  was  naturally  quite  of  the  same 
opinion,  so  they  picked  up  Admiral  Seymour  (also  with 
the  Duke  of  Edinburgh)  and  had  a  very  pleasant  hour 
smoking  and  talking  until  they  were  summoned  for  sup- 
per. That  they  couldn't  get  out  of,  as  we  made  a  fine 
procession  directly  behind  the  Court  through  all  the 
rooms  to  St.  George's  Hall — a  great  white  high  room 
magnificently  lighted,  with  tablets  all  around  the  walls 
with  the  names  of  the  Knights  of  the  Order  of  St.  George 
who  had  died  in  battle,  and  a  souper  assis  for  800  people. 
Sir  Edward  Thornton,  British  Ambassador,  took  me. 
As  we  were  parading  through  the  rooms  between  two 
hedges  of  gaping  people  looking  at  the  cortege,  dresses, 

diamonds,   etc.,   I   thought   of  Mdme.   A and  her 

stockings,  and  wondered  how  she  was  getting  on.  I  dare- 
say quite  well;  as  she  had  a  yellow  satin  dress  and  yellow 
silk  stockings  perhaps  no  one  noticed  anything,  and  as 
long  as  she  didn't  step  on  a  needle  or  anything  sharp  she 
was  all  right.  Someone  will  find  a  nice  little  pair  of 
yellow  satin  shoes  under  the  window-curtains  in  the  ball- 
room when  the  cleaning  up  is  done  after  the  fetes. 

The  hall  was  a  blaze  of  light  and  jewels — a  long  table 
across  the  end  for  the  Imperial  party,  and  all  of  us  at  two 
long  tables  running  the  whole  length  of  the  room.  The 
gold  and  silver  plate  was  very  handsome,  particularly  the 


90      LETTERS   OF  A   DIPLOMAT'S   WIFE   [June 

massive  flambeaux  and  high  ornaments  for  the  middle  of 
the  table.  The  supper  was  good,  hot,  and  quickly  served. 
There  was  music  all  the  time — singers,  men  and  women, 
in  a  gallery  singing  all  sorts  of  Russian  airs  which  no- 
body listened  to.  The  Emperor  did  not  sit  down  to 
supper.  He  remained  standing  in  the  middle  of  the 
room  talking  to  his  gentlemen,  and  a  few  words  to  the 
diplomatists  when  supper  was  over  and  one  loitered  a 
little  before  going  back  to  the  ballroom.  He  certainly 
doesn't  care  to  talk  to  strangers — seeks  them  out  very 
little,  and  when  he  does  talk  it  is  absolutely  banal.  Is  it 
"paresse  d'esprit"  or  great  reserve? — one  hardly  knows. 
I  should  think  all  this  parade  and  function  bored  him 
extremely.  They  say  he  is  very  domestic  in  his  tastes, 
and  what  he  likes  best  is  the  country  with  his  wife  and 
children. 

After  supper  we  went  back  to  the  ballroom  for  about 
half  an  hour.  Then  the  Court  retired  and  we  followed 
them  at  once.  We  got  our  carriages  fairly  quickly. 
There  are  always  crowds  in  the  streets  waiting  to  see  the 
grand-monde  pass.  The  Kremlin  looks  fairy-like  as  we 
drive  through — lights  everywhere,  some  high,  high  up  in 
a  queer  little  octagon  green  tower — then  a  great  door- 
way and  staircase  all  lighted,  with  quantities  of  servants 
and  soldiers  standing  about;  then  a  bit  of  rough  pave- 
ment in  a  half  dark  court  and  under  a  little  low  dark 
gate  with  a  shrine  and  Madonna  at  one  end — all  so  per- 
fectly unmodern,  and  unlike  anything  else. 

I  began  my  letter  this  morning  before  breakfast,  but 
didn't  finish,  as  I  was  called  off  by  some  visits,  and  now 
I  will  try  and  send  this  off  by  to-night's  courier.  We  have 
had  a  nice  afternoon  looking  at  the  Tresor.  Of  course  it 
was  very  hurried — it  would  take  weeks  to  see  everythingc 


1883]  THE  ROYAL  TREASURE  91 

The  collection  of  state  carriages  and  sleighs  is  interest- 
ing. Almost  all  the  carriages  are  French — either  given 
to  the  various  Russian  Sovereigns  by  French  Kings,  or 
ordered  in  France  by  the  Sovereigns  themselves.  The 
great  sledge  in  which  Catharine  11.  made  all  her  long 
voyages  is  comfortable  enough,  and  not  unlike  the  ''wag- 
ons imperiaux"  in  which  we  travelled  from  Varsovie  to 
Moscow. 

Then  we  saw  all  the  Coronation  robes,  crowns,  sap- 
phires, swords,  jewelled  belts  and  collars,  furs,  etc.,  of 
all  the  old  Emperors  from  Ivan  the  Terrible  down  to  the 
late  Emperor.  Some  of  the  crowns  of  the  first  Ivans 
and  Peters  are  extraordinary — a  sort  of  high  fur  cap 
covered  with  jewels,  but  heavy  and  roughly  made — the 
jewels  always  beautiful,  such  large  stones,  particularly 
sapphires  and  rubies.  There  were  vitrines  full  of  splen- 
did gold  and  silver  cups  and  dishes,  presents  to  the  Em- 
peror from  all  the  different  provinces. 

They  tell  us  the  present  Emperor  has  had  magnificent 
things  given  to  him,  but  we  have  not  seen  them  yet. 
We  met  various  people  also  going  through  the  Museum, 
and  I  had  quite  a  talk  with  Radziwill  (you  know  which 
one  I  mean,  who  married  Countess  Malatesta's  daugh- 
ter). It  seemed  funny  to  go  back  to  the  old  Roman 
days,  and  the  evenings  (prima-sera)  in  the  Malatesta  Pal- 
ace. He  says  everybody  is  worn  out  with  the  cere- 
monies and  the  standing — however,  to-night  is  the  end, 
with  our  dinner  at  the  Palace. 

I  have  again  been  interrupted — this  time  by  a  visit 
from  the  Due  d'Aoste,  whom  I  always  find  charming. 
He  is  not  at  all  expansive  and  very  shy,  but  when  one 
breaks  the  ice  he  is  interesting.  He  doesn't  look  like 
anybody  else,  nor  as  if  he  belonged  to  this  century.  It 
is  quite  the  face  one  would  see  in  any  old  Spanish  picture 


92      LETTERS   OF  A   DIPLOMAT'S   WIFE    Qune 

— a  soldier-monk  of  Velasquez.  He  talked  about  the 
Exhibition  of  '78,  when  W.  was  at  the  Foreign  Office, 
and  I  was  almost  tempted  to  tell  him  how  embarrassed 
we  all  were  on  the  opening  day  when  there  were  so  many 
Ex-Spanish  Sovereigns — King  Frangois  d'Assises,  Queen 
Isabella,  and  King  Amedee.  There  was  a  big  reception 
in  the  evening  at  the  Elysee,  and  the  Marechal*  was 
rather  bothered  with  all  his  Spanish  Royalties.  However, 
Queen  Isabella  and  the  Due  d'Aoste  were  evidently  on 
the  best  of  terms.  I  saw  them  talking  together,  and  I 
believe  all  the  Spaniards  liked  d'Aoste,  though  naturally 
they  wanted  a  King  of  their  own  race. 

Here  is  Monsieur  PhiHppe  for  his  last  coifTure,  as  he 
says  somewhat  sadly.  To-night's  dinner  is  our  last  func- 
tion. We  have  then  the  revue,  by  daylight,  of  course, 
and  leave  on  Sunday  for  Petersburg. 

Wednesday,  June  6th. 

The  gala  dinner  was  handsome  and  sJiort  last  night. 
W.  and  I  went  ofif  alone  (none  but  chefs  de  mission  were 
invited)  in  the  coupe  d'Orsay,  always  with  Benckendorft 
in  his  carriage  in  front — W.  in  uniform,  I  in  my  white 
and  silver  brocade,  white  feathers  and  diamonds  in  my 
hair,  no  colour  anywhere,  not  even  on  my  cheeks,  which 
reduces  Philippe  to  a  state  of  prostrate  stupefaction — 
"Madame  qui  pourrait  etre  si  bien." 

We  were  received  at  the  foot  of  the  staircase  and  at 
the  doors  by  all  the  Chamberlains  as  usual  and  taken  at 
once  to  the  same  Salle  St.  George  where  we  were  to  dine 
— all  at  the  Imperial  table  this  time — about  500  cou- 
verts.  We  were  shown  at  once  our  seats — all  the  places 
were  marked,  and  we  stood  waiting  behind  our  chairs 
(like  the  footmen)  for  the  Court  to  appear.     I  found  my- 

*  MacMahon,  President  at  that  time  of  the  French  Republic. 


1883]  THE  GALA  DINNER  93 

self  seated  between  the  Due  d'Aoste  and  the  young 
Crown  Prince  of  Sweden,  so  I  was  quite  satisfied.  One 
of  my  colleagues  was  very  anxious  I  should  change  the 
papers — give  her  my  Duke  and  take  her's,  who  was  never 
civil  to  her,  but  would  be  perhaps  to  me,  but  I  demurred, 
as  I  knew  mine  would  be  nice,  and  I  didn't  know  her's 
at  all.  I  don't  think  he  was  very  nice  to  her,  certainly 
didn't  talk  much,  but  perhaps  he  never  does. 

We  didn't  wait  very  long.  The  Court  was  fairly 
punctual — the  Empress  looked  very  nice,  all  in  white 
with  diamonds.  She  had  on  her  right  the  Due  d'Edim- 
bourg  (who  always  had  the  place  of  honour),  and  on  her 
left  the  Prince  Waldemar  de  Danemark,her  brother.  The 
Emperor  had  the  Queen  of  Greece  on  his  right,  the  Arch 
Duchess  Charles  Louis  on  his  left.  The  dinner  wasn't 
bad,  and  was  quickly  served.  The  fish  were  enormous, 
served  on  large  silver  dishes  as  big  as  boats.  There  was 
always  that  curious  Russian  soup  with  all  sorts  of  nonde- 
script things  floating  about  on  the  surface.  The  Due 
d'Aoste  was  as  nice  as  possible — said  the  Court  officials 
would  be  enchanted  when  everything  was  over,  and  all 
the  foreign  Princes  safely  back  in  their  own  countries, 
that  the  question  of  etiquette  was  something  awful.  As 
soon  as  the  Russian  Court  decided  anything  all  the  others 
immediately  protested — used  all  sorts  of  precedents,  and 
complicated  matters  in  every  way.  I  suggested  that  he 
himself  was  difficult  to  place  on  account  of  the  Due  de 
Montpensier,  who  was  here  as  a  Spanish  Prince,  husband 
of  the  Infanta.  He  replied  "Absolument  pas — je  suis 
ici  comme  prince  italien,  frere  du  roi,"  declining  any  sort 
of  Spanish  souvenir. 

When  dinner  was  over  we  passed  into  the  salle  St.  An- 
dre for  cofTee,  and  that  was  funny  too.  As  soon  as  the 
Emperor  and  Empress  made  the  move  all  our  Dukes  and 


<)4      LETTERS   OF  A   DIPLOMAT'S   WIFE    [June 

Princes  got  up  at  once,  and  joined  the  Imperial  pro- 
cession, and  we  followed  all  in  a  heap.  There  we  had  a 
pleasant  half  hour,  the  Empress  and  the  Grand  Duchesses 
came  over  and  talked  to  us,  hoped  we  were  not  tired, 
that  we  had  been  interested,  etc.  I  said  to  the  Grand 
Duchess  Constantine  that  they  must  be  enchanted  to  be 
at  the  end  of  their  functions,  and  to  get  rid  of  us  all — 
but  she  said  not  at  all.  She  herself  was  much  less  tired 
than  when  she  began.  She  asked  me  what  I  had  found 
the  most  striking  in  all  the  ceremonies.  I  said  certainly 
the  Coronation — first  the  moment  when  the  Emperor 
crowned  himself — the  only  figure  standing  on  the  dais, 
and  afterwards  when  he  crowned  the  Empress,  she  kneel- 
ing before  him. 

The  Empress  asked  me  if  I  was  going  straight  back  to 
France,  but  she  didn't  say,  as  so  many  of  the  others  did, 
"Ce  n'est  pas  adieu  pour  vous,  Mdme.  Waddington,  mais 
au  revoir,  car  vous  reviendrez  certainement."  Admiral 
Jaures  having  already  resigned  many  people  think  W. 
will  be  the  next  Ambassador,  but  he  certainly  won't 
come. 

About  9  the  Court  retired.  We  had  dined  at  7,  so  the 
whole  thing  took  about  two  hours.  It  was  quite  light 
when  we  came  out  of  the  Palace,  and  when  we  got  back 
to  the  Maison  Klein  we  found  the  Embassy  just  finishing 
dinner,  still  in  the  dining-room.  We  sat  a  few  minutes 
with  them  telling  our  experiences.  W.  had  been  next  to 
the  Grand  Duchess  Michel,  who  was  very  animated  and 
intelligent,  and  extremely  well  posted  in  all  literary  and 
political  matters,  and  fairly  just  for  a  Princess  speaking 
about  a  Republic. 

Poor  Pontecoulant  has  had  a  telegram  telling  him  of 
his  brother's  death.  He  is  very  much  upset,  and  goes 
ofT  to-night.     W.  will  miss  him  extremely — he  was  his 


1883]  A    HOME    FOR    FOUNDLINGS  95 

right-hand  man.  I  have  been  out  this  morning  shop- 
ping with  Francois  de  Courcelle.  It  isn't  easy,  as  our 
Russian  is  not  fluent,  but  still  we  managed  to  find  a  few 
things. 

This  afternoon  I  have  been  with  Lagrene  (Consul), 
Sesmaisons,  Corcelle,  and  Calmon  to  the  great  institu- 
tion of  the  ''Enfants  Trouves"  fondee  par  I'lmperatrice 
Catherine  II.  There  we  found  Admiral  Jaures  and  all 
his  staff,  and  a  director  who  showed  us  all  over  the 
establishment — of  course  everything  was  in  perfect  order, 
and  perfectly  clean  (and  I  believe  it  always  is),  but  I 
should  have  preferred  not  having  our  visit  announced, 
so  as  to  see  the  every-day  working  of  the  thing.  We 
went  through  quantities  of  rooms.  In  all,  the  Russian 
nurses  with  their  high  head-dress  (kakoshnik),  the  col- 
our of  the  room,  were  standing,  and  showed  us  most 
smilingly  their  babies.  The  rooms  are  all  known  by 
their  colours  and  the  nurses  dressed  to  correspond.  All 
pink  kakoshniks,  for  instance,  in  the  pink  room,  blue 
in  the  blue  room,  etc.  It  w^as  rather  effective  when 
all  the  women  were  standing  in  groups.  The  nurses 
were  decidedly  young,  some  rather  pretty  faces,  almost 
all  fair.  The  surveillante  is  a  nice,  kindly  looking 
woman.  We  saw  the  whole  ceremony.  In  one  of  the 
rooms  of  the  rez-de-chaussee  we  saw  several  women 
waiting  to  take  the  children.  The  operation  is  always 
the  same — one  writes  down  at  once  the  name  and  age 
of  the  child  (which  is  generally  written  on  a  piece  of 
paper  pinned  on  to  the  clothes),  they  are  always  very 
young,  5  or  6  days  old.  Then  they  are  undressed, 
weighed,  and  carried  off  by  one  of  the  nurses,  wrapped  up 
in  a  blanket,  to  a  bath.  After  the  bath  they  are  dressed 
in  quite  clean,  nice  garments,  and  the  nurse  gives  them 
the  breast  at  once.     All  the  rooms,  dortoirs,  salles-de- 


9^      LETTERS   OF  A   DIPLOMAT'S   WIFE    [June 

bain,  laundries,  kitchens,  are  as  clean  as  possible,  plenty 
of  light  and  air,  and  no  smells.  We  met  Countess  Pahlen 
going  out  as  we  came  in,  also  the  Arch  Duke  Charles 
Louis. 

As  we  still  had  time  before  dinner  we  went  to  see  the 
new  church  of  St.  Sauveur,  where  there  is  to  be  a  great 
ceremony  of  consecration  to-morrow;  but  as  it  is  prin- 
cipally to  celebrate  the  retreat  of  the  French  Army  from 
Moscow  the  two  French  Embassies  abstain  from  that 
function.  We  met  there  Prince  Dolgourouky,  Gover- 
nor of  Moscow,  who  did  the  honours,  and  showed  us  the 
marbles,  which  are  very  varied  and  handsome,  all  from 
the  provinces  of  the  Empire.  The  place  was  full  of  work- 
men putting  up  tribunes,  red  and  gold  draperies,  etc., 
but  the  Prince,  with  much  tact,  made  no  allusion  to  to- 
morrow's function — so  we  apparently  didn't  notice  any- 
thing unusual  in  the  church,  and  concentrated  our  at- 
tention on  the  beautiful  Russian  marble. 

II  o'clock. 
I  will  finish  to-night.  We  have  had  our  second  diplo- 
matic dinner,  and  I  found  it  pleasant,  I  hope  the  guests 
did.  I  had  Mgr.*  Vannutelli,  the  Nonce,  next  to  me.  He 
is  charming — such  an  easy  talker.  He  arrived  after  the 
sacre,  as  of  course  he  could  take  no  part  in  the  cere- 
mony. He  told  me  the  dream  of  his  life  was  to  come  to 
Paris,  and  I  think  he  would  have  a  great  success.  He 
and  Prince  OrlofT  talked  very  easily  together,  and  Orloff 
told  him  he  ought  to  come  to  Paris.  OrlofT  also  says 
that  W.  ought  to  come  back  here  as  Ambassador,  that 
he  would  be  decidedly  a  ''persona  grata,"  but  that  isn't 
W.'s  impression.  He  has  talked  to  a  good  many  men 
who  are  about  the  Court  and  the  Emperor,  and  he  thinks 
a  soldier,  not  a  political  man,  would  be  a  much  better 

*  Now  cardinal. 


1883]  A  VIEW  OF  MOSCOW  97 

appointment.  We  shall  miss  Pontecoulant  awfully.  He 
is  so  easy-going  and  looks  after  everything,  always 
smoothing  things  over — very  necessary  in  a  temporary 
Embassy  like  this  where  all  pull  apart  a  little,  and  there 
is  a  sort  of  dull  friction  and  rivalry  between  the  soldiers 
and  the  diplomatists.  It  is  funny  to  live  entirely  with  a 
quantity  of  men,  but  they  are  all  charming  to  me. 

To  H.  L.  K. 

Ambassade  de  France,  Moscow, 

Maison  Klein,  Malaia  Dimitrofska, 

Thursday,  June  7th,  1883. 

W.  and  I  have  had  such  a  quiet  conjugal  day  that  we 
can  hardly  believe  we  are  still  "Ambassadeur  Extraordi- 
naire." We  breakfasted  tete-a-tete,  as  all  the  gentlemen 
have  gone  off  to  the  Convent  of  St.  Serge,  which  is  one 
of  the  things  to  see  here.  They  have  a  very  fine  tresor. 
The  Emperor  and  Empress  made  retraite  there  before 
the  sacre.  After  breakfast  W.  looked  over  his  des- 
patches, and  I  played  a  Httle  some  Russian  music  which 
Benckendorff  had  given  me. 

About  three  we  started  off  for  "les  Moineaux,"  a  hill 
near  Moscow  from  which  Napoleon  had  his  first  view  of 
the  city.  There  was  no  sun,  which  was  a  pity,  as  all  the 
colour  of  Moscow  makes  it  so  original  and  different  from 
everything  else — however  the  city  looked  mysterious  and 
poetical  in  a  sort  of  pink  brume.  We  met  various  col- 
leagues going  the  same  way — Nigra  always  in  his 
*'Troika"  (Russian  attelage)  and  the  Hunts.  Nigra  came 
and  joined  us  on  the  terrace,  and  we  had  tea  together. 
They  offered  us  a  great  many  things,  but  we  declined 
experiments,  and  kept  on  saying  "Tchai"  (which  means 
tea),  until  they  brought  it.     Nigra  told  W.  he  should 


98      LETTERS   OF  A  DIPLOMAT'S   WIFE    [June 

taste  the  peculiar  brandy  of  the  country  which  all  drink — 
prince  and  peasant — but  I  think  W.  did  not  like  it  much. 
Nigra  was  most  agreeable.  He  is  Italian  Ambassador  to 
Petersburg,  and  knows  everybody.  He  says  Russian 
Society  is  rather  fermee,  unless  you  take  their  ways  and 
hours.  All  the  ladies  receive  late,  after  the  theatres, 
every  evening.  It  is  quite  informal — a  cup  of  tea,  very 
often  music,  and  really  interesting  talk.  He  says  the 
women  are  remarkably  intelligent  and  cultivated — en 
masse  cleverer  than  the  men.  I  wonder  if  he  would  go 
as  far  about  them  as  Lord  Lyons  did  about  American 
women.  When  he  came  back  from  America  he  said  he 
had  never  met  a  stupid  American  woman.  We  had  a 
pleasant  hour  on  the  terrace,  and  then  started  home 
again. 

We  crossed  the  Empress  driving  with  her  brother, 
Prince  Waldemar,  in  an  ordinary  open  carriage  (har- 
nessed Russian  fashion — the  three  horses)  and  with  no 
escort  nor  apparent  policemen  of  any  kind.  She  looked 
very  well  and  smiling,  and  so  young.  There  was  not 
much  movement  on  the  road — a  few  carriages  and  peas- 
ant's carts.  As  soon  as  we  got  into  Moscow  we  fell  at 
once  into  the  same  staring,  quiet  crowd;  but  I  fancy 
many  people  have  already  gone.  The  streets  were  not 
nearly  so  full. 

I  had  just  time  to  dress,  and  dined  alone  with  the 
gentlemen.  W.  and  General  Pittie  dined  with  the  Nonce, 
Mgr.  Vannutelli,  and  were  to  go  to  Countess  Pahlen's 
reception  afterwards.  The  expedition  to  the  Convent 
seems  to  have  been  very  successful,  but  long.  They  gave 
them  breakfast  in  the  refectory — a  very  frugal  meal — 
and  showed  them  all  their  treasures.  I  stayed  a  little 
while  in  the  serre  while  they  were  smoking.  Now  they 
have  all  gone  out  and  I  am  not  sorry  to  finish  my  even- 


1883]  A  FAREWELL  AUDIENCE  99 

ing  quietly  in  my  little  boudoir.  I  am  getting  quite  ac- 
customed to  my  little  room,  with  its  ugly  green  and  gold 
silk  furniture  (quite  hideous,  such  a  bright,  hard  green). 
The  chairs  and  sofa  are  so  heavy  it  takes  two  of  us  to 
move  them.  There  are  quantities  of  tables  and  candles 
(40  or  50  at  least,  no  lamps  of  any  description),  in 
branches,  double  candlesticks,  etc.  I  have  great  diffi- 
culty in  persuading  the  little  Russian  maid  not  to  light 
them  all,  all  the  time;  and  when  I  have  about  12  to  dress 
by  she  evidently  considers  me  in  the  dark  absolutely.  I 
think  I  have  dressed  sometimes  with  two,  quite  con- 
tented, in  the  old  days. 

Friday,  June  8th. 

I  walked  about  a  little  with  Corcelle  this  morning. 
We  went  into  one  fur  shop  where  we  found  a  woman 
who  spoke  French,  but  there  was  nothing  very  tempting. 
They  all  advise  us  to  wait  for  our  furs  at  Petersburg,  all 
the  best  furs  are  sent  there — however  we  bought  a  very 
good  fur  lining  for  a  driving  coat  (each  of  us)  and  I  a 
fur  couverture — principally  I  think  because  the  woman 
was  nice,  and  it  was  a  pleasure  to  talk  ourselves  and  not 
through  the  little  boy  of  the  Consulate,  of  whom  I  am  by 
no  means  sure. 

At  10  o'clock  W.  had  his  farewell  audience  with  the 
Emperor,  but  it  wasn't  particularly  interesting — an  in- 
significant conversation — might  have  been  any  emperor, 
or  any  ambassador,  of  any  country. 

After  breakfast  we  went  out  again  "en  bande"  with  a 
new  polyglot  youth  this  time — a  young  Frenchman  whom 
Lhermite  had  discovered.  He  took  us  to  all  sorts  of 
places,  small  shops  and  bazaars,  where  we  had  never 
been.  We  bought  a  good  many  things,  Circassian  belts 
and  buckles  of  wrought  silver,  some  studded  with  tur- 
quoises, some  enamelled — pretty  work — Russian  chains 


100    LETTERS   OF  A  DIPLOMAT'S   WIFE    [June 

and  crosses,  small  Madonnas  in  curious  brass  frames 
— always  the  black  face  on  a  gold  ground,  and 
several  of  those  beautiful,  light  Orenburg  shawls,  so  fine 
that  they  pass  through  a  ring  (we  all  tried)  and  yet  fairly 
large  and  warm  when  one  shakes  them  out  to  the  full 
size.  It  was  rather  amusing  going  in  and  out  of  all  the 
funny  little  shops.  We  left  the  carriage  in  one  of  the 
big  streets  and  walked  about. 

Now  we  have  come  home.  I  have  had  my  tea  alone 
to-day.  I  must  dress,  as  we  dine  early,  7  o'clock,  on 
account  of  our  reception  afterwards.  I  went  with  Lher- 
mite  to  see  the  flowers,  fruit,  bonbons,  petits  fours,  etc., 
which  arrived  this  morning  from  Paris.  It  is  extraor- 
dinary how  fresh  they  all  look.  There  are  dozens  of 
boxes  in  the  dining-room  and  ofhce,  and  the  men  are 
putting  the  flowers  all  about  the  rooms.  Thermite  super- 
intending the  whole  thing.  He  is  an  enormous  help — 
I  don't  know  what  we  should  have  done  without  him. 

I  am  going  to  wear  my  white  and  silver  brocade  to- 
night, the  one  I  wore  at  the  Palace  gala  dinner — my  last 
full  dress  in  Moscow.  I  am  rather  shaken  by  my  outing 
this  afternoon — the  going  in  some  of  those  crooked  little 
old  streets  was  something  awful.  The  holes  in  the  so- 
called  pavement  were  appalling,  and  the  paving-stones 
tapered  off  generally  to  a  sharp  point.  I  think  nothing 
but  a  Russian  carriage,  driven  by  a  Russian  coachman 
could  have  got  along.  I  must  say  it  is  a  straggling, 
queer-looking  town  once  you  get  out  of  the  Kremlin 
and  the  main  streets.  The  houses  are  very  far  apart, 
generally  white  and  low,  with  large  gardens,  like  a  big 
overgrown  village. 

Well,  Dear,  our  reception  is  over.  It  is  ended  early, 
as  everything  does  here — and  as  I  am  wide  awake  I  will 


1883]  A  RECEPTION  loi 

write  at  once.  People  began  to  come  about  9.30,  and 
at  11.30  everyone  had  gone.  The  rooms  looked  well, 
quantities  of  lights  and  flowers,  everyone  noticed  the 
flowers  (there  are  so  few  here),  which  were  heaped  up 
everywhere  on  consoles,  mantelpieces,  wherever  one 
could  put  them.  We  had  a  great  many  people — all  our 
colleagues  in  full  force,  but  not  so  many  Russians  as  we 
expected.  A  good  many  were  de  service  at  the  Palace, 
where  there  was  a  function  of  some  kind  for  Russians  only 
(the  provinces),  and  I  am  sure  many  never  received  their 
invitations,  as  it  is  impossible  to  find  out  where  anyone 
lives.  I  had  a  talk  with  General  Richter  and  one  or  two 
others,  and  then  some  of  the  younger  members  of  the 
party  suggested  dancing — of  course  we  had  no  music,  as 
dancing  had  not  been  contemplated,  but  various  amateurs 
offered  their  services,  and  they  had  about  half  an  hour 
of  waltzes.  At  the  end  they  danced  a  little  the  Russian 
mazurka,  which  I  was  very  curious  to  see.  It  Is  quite 
different  from  our  cotillon  or  the  Sir  Roger  de  Coverley. 
There  are  all  sorts  of  steps  and  figures.  The  gentleman 
takes  his  partner  by  the  hand,  holding  it  rather  high  (as 
in  the  polonaise).  They  hold  themselves  very  straight, 
heads  well  back,  as  in  a  minuet,  and  do  various  figures. 
The  women  have  a  quick,  sliding  step  when  they  change 
partners,  which  is  very  effective.  I  should  think  none 
but  Russians  would  dance  it  well — one  must  be  born 
to  it. 

Prince  Orloff  stayed  on  a  little  after  everyone  had 
gone,  and  we  talked  over  all  the  fetes,  and  principally 
our  own  performances.  He  says  he  has  heard  plenty  of 
talk  and  criticisms  of  everything,  and  is  much  pleased 
with  the  success  of  our  Mission.  I  hope  the  people  at 
home  will  be  satisfied. 

We  had  a  dinner  for  all  the  French  newspaper  corre- 


102    LETTERS   OF  A   DIPLOMAT'S   WIFE    Qune 

spondents  the  other  day — and  they  expressed  themselves 
as  quite  gratified.  They  told  us  that  one  of  the  cor- 
respondents (I  forget  which  paper)  had  accepted  W.'s 
invitation,  but  the  very  day  of  the  dinner  there  had  been 
such  a  violent  attack  on  W.  in  his  paper  that  he  didn't 
like  to  come,  and  sent  an  excuse.  They  say  the 
Times'  account  is  the  best — the  Figaro  also  very  good 
(Wolfif). 

Saturday,  June  9,  1883. 

The  court  is  most  amusing  this  morning — all  the 
gentlemen  are  trying  their  horses,  superintending  the 
saddling,  etc.,  as  most  of  them  follow  the  Emperor  to-day 
at  the  revue.  The  little  Russian  horses  look  very  lively 
and  never  stand  still  an  instant.  W.  and  I  go  together 
in  the  d'Orsay,  Corcelle  preceding  us  in  another  car- 
riage. Benckendorff  rides  with  all  the  others.  General 
Pittie  is  rather  bored,  he  hates  riding,  particularly  on  a 
horse  he  doesn't  know,  so  he  and  Fayet  will  only  mount 
at  the  Champ  de  Mars.  They  say  the  Emperor's  suite 
will  be  enormous — over  100.  I  wore  my  ecru  batiste 
with  the  heavy  white  embroidery  and  the  ecru  bonnet 
with  the  wreath  of  pink  and  red  roses.  It  is  almost 
white.  (I  wonder  how  I  shall  ever  wear  out  all  these 
garments. ) 

The  day  is  beautiful.  We  started  about  10,  as  we  were 
invited  for  11  to  the  Tribune  Imperiale.  The  road  out 
was  a  sight — the  middle  alley  had  been  kept  for  the 
swells  and  Court,  and  there  were  quantities  of  Imperial 
and  Ambassadors'  carriages,  aides-de-camp,  etc.,  dashing 
about.  I  didn't  see  any  handsome  private  equipages. 
They  told  me  the  reason  was  that  the  swells  were  at- 
tached to  the  Court  and  went  about  always  in  Court 
carriages.     Our  gentlemen  passed  us  riding — they  had 


i883l  A  MILITARY  REVIEW  103 

rendezvous  in  the  court-yard  of  the  Palace  Petrofski, 
where  the  Emperor  mounted.  We  went  on  to  the  Trib- 
une. The  cortege  started  fairly  punctually.  First 
came  the  Empress  in  a  victoria  with  four  white  horses. 
The  Arch  Duchess  Charles  Louis  was  seated  next  to  her, 
and  on  the  box  the  Duchessed'Edimbourg  and  the  Grand 
Duchess  Wladimir,  I  think — at  any  rate  another  Prin- 
cess. There  were  2  postilions,  2  mounted  grooms,  and 
a  piqueur.  Then  came  the  Emperor  riding  on  the  right 
of  the  Empress's  carriage,  always  on  his  little  grey  Cos- 
sack horse,  the  Grand  Duke  Heritier  and  the  Duke  of 
Edinburgh  directly  behind  him,  and  then  a  long,  glittering 
suite  of  foreign  Princes  and  ofHcers.  The  Grand  Duke 
Wladimir  commands  the  Gardes,  and  was  on  the  field  to 
receive  his  brother.  It  is  the  first  time  I  have  seen  the 
Emperor  without  the  Grand  Duke  Wladimir  close  be- 
hind him.  It  was  striking  to  see  the  stern,  watchful  face 
always  there.  The  Empress  drove  up  and  down  the 
lines,  the  Emperor  riding  alongside.  It  was  dif^cult  to 
distinguish  any  uniforms,  as  they  were  rather  far  off,  and 
there  were  clouds  of  dust.  As  soon  as  the  Empress  had 
passed  her  revue  she  came  up  to  the  Tribune  and  took  up 
her  position  directly  in  front,  standing  almost  all  the  time. 
The  Emperor  and  his  stafif  remained  directly  under  the 
Tribune  to  see  the  defile.  That  of  course  was  long — but 
we  had  breakfast,  also  a  sort  of  goiiter  always  going  on, 
and  servants  appearing  at  intervals  carrying  trays  with 
tea,  chocolate,  orangeade,  etc.  All  the  Grand  Duchesses 
(not  the  Empress)  moved  about  and  talked  to  us.  The 
Duchesse  d'Oldenburg  sat  down  next  me  for  some  time 
and  told  me  about  some  of  the  regiments  (Crimean 
fame),  named  some  of  the  generals,  etc. 

I  had  tea  with  the  Duchess  of  Edinburgh.     She  is  easy, 
clever,  and  was  much  interested  in  all  that  was  going  on, 


104    LETTERS   OF  A   DIPLOMAT'S   WIFE    [June 

told  me  I  must  come  to  the  front  for  the  cavalry  and  Cos- 
sack charge,  and  that  it  would  be  soon.  I  followed  her 
when  she  made  the  move — the  infantry  were  just  finish- 
ing— and  in  the  distance  one  saw  a  movement  and  a  flash 
of  lances  in  the  sun,  which  showed  that  the  Cossacks  were 
getting  ready.  They  passed  like  a  whirlwind — so  fast, 
and  in  such  clouds  of  dust  that  one  saw  nothing  but  the 
glint  of  the  lances,  neither  colour  of  uniforms,  horses, 
flags.  All  the  troops,  infantry  as  well  as  cavalry,  saluted 
the  Emperor  as  they  passed — a  sort  of  dull  sound,  more 
like  a  groan  than  a  cheer — nothing  like  a  ringing  English 
hurrah. 

That  was  the  end,  so  I  went  to  the  Princess  Kot- 
choubey,  Grande  Maitresse,  to  ask  her  if  I  should  go  and 
take  leave  of  the  Empress,  as  she  and  the  Emperor  leave 
Moscow  to-morrow.  She  said  the  Empress  wished  us 
all,  Ambassadrices  and  femmes  de  chefs-de-Mission,  to 
stand  near  the  door,  and  she  would  say  good-bye  to  us 
on  her  way  out,  so  we  moved  down,  and  after  waiting 
a  Httle  she  came.  She  made  her  circle  very  prettily, 
shook  hands  with  all,  and  talked  a  little,  but  she  was  evi- 
dently tired  and  anxious  to  get  away.  She  was  dressed 
in  a  curious  dress,  a  sort  of  yellow  cloth  of  gold,  and  gold 
bonnet  with  red  flowers — always  her  splendid  pearl  neck- 
lace. 

We  had  to  wait  some  little  time  before  our  carnages 
could  get  up,  so  I  went  back  to  the  front  of  the  Trib- 
une to  see  the  troops  disperse.  It  was  a  pretty  sight 
as  they  all  filed  ofT  in  long  columns,  music  playing  and 
flags  flying,  and  always  little  groups  of  Cossacks  tearing 
all  over  the  place.  I  had  another  cup  of  tea  with  a  very 
good  little  cake  while  I  was  waiting.  Lady  Thornton 
was  tired  and  wanted  one,  so  we  sat  there  quite  quietly 
and  had  our  tea.     It  was  a  lovely,  bright,  warm  day,  and 


Grand   Due   Wladimir. 
From  a  photograph  by  Berg-aniasco,  St.  Petersburg-. 


1883]  END  OF  THE  FETES  105 

we  liked  that  better  than  waiting  at  the  door  in  the 
crowd  until  our  carriages  came. 

We  got  back  to  the  Embassy  for  breakfast,  but  were 
not  very  hungry.  We  breakfasted  alone  with  Corcelle, 
as  the  other  gentlemen  breakfasted  with  all  the  Em- 
peror's suite  at  the  Petrofski  Palace.  I  am  writing  this 
by  fits  and  starts,  as  you  will  perceive.  I  began  at  9  this 
xnorning,  and  am  finishing  now  at  10.30,  after  a  pleas- 
cant  dinner  at  the  Jaures — merely  our  two  Embassies, 
'everyone  telling  his  experiences,  amusing  enough.  The 
Jaures  are  quite  ready  to  go.  He  wants  to  go  to 
sea  again,  and  will  command  the  Mediterranean  Squad- 
ron, and  she  is  tired  of  Russia.  I  have  no  idea  who  will 
succeed  them,  but  as  long  as  it  isn't  W.  I  don't  much 
care. 

Well,  our  fetes  are  over.  We  shall  have  two  days  to 
see  Moscow  quietly,  and  then  break  up.  It  has  cer- 
tainly been  most  interesting,  and  now  that  it  is  over,  and 
we  all  have  still  our  heads  on  our  shoulders,  I  am  very 
glad  we  came,  for  I  shall  never  see  such  a  sight  again. 

Sunday,  June  loth. 

Richard  and  I  made  an  ineffectual  attempt  to  go  to  the 
English  church  this  morning,  but  after  driving  half  over 
Moscow  and  going  to  various  wrong  addresses,  which 
had  been  given  to  us,  we  gave  it  up,  and  came  home 
rather  mortified  and  well  jibed  at  by  the  whole  Embassy. 
Just  as  we  were  going  to  breakfast  Prince  Ourousofif,  one 
of  the  Chamberlains,  appeared  to  say  that  two  special 
trains  would  start  for  Petersburg  on  Monday  and  Wed- 
nesday to  take  back  the  Corps  Diplomatique,  and  asked 
us  which  day  would  suit  us  best.  W.  preferred  Wed- 
nesday. W.  must  have  a  day  or  two  to  send  off  horses, 
carriages,  huissiers,  cooks,  etc.,  and  also  to  see  a  little  of 


io6    LETTERS   OF  A   DIPLOMAT'S   WIFE    [June 

Moscow,  for  he  has  scarcely  seen  anything.  All  his  days 
were  so  taken  up  with  the  visits — those  he  made  and 
those  he  received — and  his  despatches,  that  he  did  little 
but  his  morning  ride  on  his  funny  little  bay  horse  (which 
he  liked  very  much  and  which  carried  him  wxll). 

This  afternoon  we  have  been  sight-seeing  with  Benck- 
endorff,  first  to  the  Kremlin  to  see  the  private  apart- 
ments of  the  Emperor  and  Empress.  The  Court,  with 
all  the  foreign  Princes  and  their  suites,  left  last  night 
after  the  revue,  and  already  one  sees  the  difference  in  the 
streets.  The  crowd  of  peasants  has  disappeared,  there  are 
fewer  carriages,  flags  and  draperies  are  being  removed 
from  all  the  buildings,  and  the  circulation  is  so  easy  that 
one  can  scarcely  realize  that  only  yesterday  that  brilliant 
throng  was  making  its  way  with  difficulty  through  the 
long,  straight  allee  to  the  Champ  de  Mars.  It  is  very 
warm,  the  sun  blazing,  and  the  white  dust  very  trying; 
however  we  went  about  a  good  deal.  We  saw  the  Ro- 
manoff house,  an  ordinary  boyar  house,  with  low,  dark 
rooms  and  a  funny  little  winding  staircase,  but  it  had 
evidently  been  quite  done  up  (in  the  style  of  the  epoch 
of  course),  and  I  didn't  find  it  very  interesting. 

We  went  into  numerous  churches  and  towers,  and 
wound  up  with  a  visit  to  the  Monastere  Siminoff,  from 
where  there  is  a  splendid  view  over  the  city.  We  saw 
the  Director,  who  came  out  and  showed  us  everything. 
We  dined  quietly  at  home  with  the  Embassy  only.  After 
dinner,  when  smoking  in  the  serre,  the  soldiers  began 
talking,  fighting  their  battles  over  again — all  that  hor- 
rible time  between  the  Commune  and  Versailles,  where 
one  of  our  Embassy,  Fayet,  was  wounded.  It  is  always 
interesting  when  they  talk  seriously  like  that,  but.  Heav- 
ens, how  they  shot  people  at  the  end,  it  makes  one  shiver. 

To-morrow  will  be  a  busy  day,  as  all  the  packing  must 


1883]  PREPARING  FOR  DEPARTURE         107 

be  done.  One  of  the  French  couturieres  here  will  send  a 
packer,  and  will  come  herself  to  help  the  maids.  Lher- 
mite,  with  his  cooks,  footmen,  etc.,  start  Wednesday 
morning  early.  They  must  cook  us  our  last  dinner  Tues- 
day night.     Hubert,  too,  with  carriages,  horses,  etc. 

To  H.  L.  K. 

Ambassade  de  France  A  Moscow, 
Maison  Klein,  Malaia  Dimitrofska, 
Monday,  June  nth,  1883. 
Well,  Dear,  this  is  my  last  letter  from  Moscow — you 
will  certainly  never  again  have  any  letter  from  Maison 
Klein,  Malaia  Dimitrofska,  and  I  suppose  I  shall  never 
see  Moscow  again.     The  court  is  again  most  lively  (it 
is  certainly  an  unfailing  interest  to  me,  and  I  am  always 
looking  out  of  the  window).     Someone  has  come  from 
one  of  the  Grand  Dukes,  Michel,  I  think,  to  see  the  big 
horses.     Hawes  was  very  anxious  we  should  sell  them  in 
Russia,  if  we  could  get  a  fair  price.     They  have  always 
excited  much  attention  and  admiration,  but  they  are  very 
big,  and  here  the  Russians  are  accustomed  to  a  much 
smaller  race,  prefer  three  small  ones  to  one  larger  pair. 
I   don't  know   either  if  they  could  stand  the  climate. 
There  seems  to  be  a  perfect  army  of  helpers  packing  car- 
riages, saddles,  harness,  and  all  the  stable  equipment. 
Mdme.  Gille  (my  couturiere)  has  arrived.     She  has  made 
me  a  very  nice  little  blue  foulard  shirt,  I  couldn't  stand 
my  cloth  body  these  hot  days,  and  yet  must  travel  in 
that  dress,  as  I  have  no  other.     When  I  think  of  the 
furs  that  have  always  remained  at  the  bottom  of  one  of 
the  trunks — so  many  people  told  me  that  it  would  be 
impossible  to  be  in  Russia  in   May  and  June  without 
furs.     It  is  fair  to  say  that  Mdme.  Jaures  told  me  it  was 


io8    LETTERS   OF  A  DIPLOMAT'S   WIFE   [June 

freezing  still  the  morning  they  left  Petersburg — which 
seems  incredible  now.  I  send  back  all  my  big  trunks 
and  swell  garments  with  the  Huberts.  I  shall  keep  out 
only  one  or  two  dinner  dresses  for  Petersburg.  Poor 
Mdme.  Hubert  is  rather  sad  at  leaving  me,  and  going 
back  to  France  without  having  seen  Petersburg,  but  of 
course  I  don't  want  two  maids  any  longer. 

This  afternoon  I  went  out  with  Richard  for  some  last 
shopping.  The  city  is  completely  changed — not  a 
creature  nor  a  carriage,  nor  servants  in  livery,  nothing 
but  a  deserted  city.  We  met  the  Austrian  Ambassador 
walking  about  in  a  blue  flannel  vest  and  a  pot  hat.  The 
courts  of  the  Kremlin  were  meconnaissables,  not  a  soul, 
hardly  a  soldier — one  or  two  small  detachments  of  Cos- 
sacks at  the  gates.  It  is  an  extraordinary  change  in  such 
a  short  time.  It  has  become  a  sleepy  little  provincial 
town. 

We  had  two  or  three  gentlemen  to  dinner,  M.  d'Orval, 
ancien  officier  de  Chasseurs,  just  back  from  a  tour  in 
the  Caucasus  with  the  Due  de  Chartres,  and  a  Russian 
merchant  for  whom  Richard  had  letters — the  first  per- 
son I  have  seen  in  Russia  who  was  neither  noble  nor 
peasant.  Both  men  were  interesting  enough.  The  Rus- 
sian talked  prudently,  but  fairly  openly — said  there  must 
be  a  great  change — things  couldn't  go  on  as  they  did 
now,  there  was  a  young  generation  to  be  reckoned  with, 
active,  educated,  intelligent,  and  they  must  have  their 
say — that  when  the  uprising  came  there  would  be  a 
Revolution  such  as  Europe  had  never  seen.     I  wonder. 

After  dinner  we  went  to  the  Hermitage,  the  great  pub- 
lic gardens.  They  are  pretty  enough,  large,  with  trees 
and  bosquets,  and  every  variety  of  amusement — theatres, 
concerts,  dancing,  and  even  conjurors.  Some  shep- 
herds from  the  Wladimir  Government  with  long  yellow 


1883]  IN  THE  PUBLIC  GARDENS  109 

cloaks  and  high  hats  were  playing  a  sort  of  reed  pipe, 
curious  enough.  At  last  I  heard  some  of  the  Russian 
national  songs — a  quartette  was  singing  them  in  one 
of  the  theatres.  They  are  very  pretty,  monotonous,  with 
an  undercurrent  of  sadness.  They  sang  very  true,  and 
the  voices  are  rich,  not  at  all  the  thin,  high  northern 
voice  that  one  expected  to  hear.  We  stayed  there  so 
long,  looking  at  the  various  things,  that  we  didn't  get 
home  until  12.30 — much  the  latest  entertainment  I  have 
been  to  in  Moscow,  except  the  Palace  ball,  where  the 
suppper  of  course  prolonged  the  festivities. 

Monday,  June  nth. 

It  was  so  warm  to-day  and  I  had  so  much  to  do  with 
the  trunks — separating  the  things — that  I  only  went  out 
after  tea,  and  of  course  did  a  little  more  shopping.  I 
wanted  some  photographs  and  also  some  music — how- 
ever Benckendorfif  said  he  would  see  about  that  for  me. 
We  dined  quite  alone  with  the  Embassy — a  good  din- 
ner perfectly  served,  tho'  Thermite  leaves  to-morrow. 
He  came  up  to  get  his  last  instructions  from  W.  while 
we  were  having  tea.  His  experiences  are  most  amusing 
— he  says  he  has  learnt  a  great  deal  of  the  language  and 
the  Russian  ways  of  doing  business,  and  if  ever  he  comes 
back  he  will  know  how  to  take  care  of  himself.  He  be- 
came quite  excited  at  remembering  various  occasions 
when  he  had  been  "roule." 

After  dinner  W.  and  I  went  for  a  last  drive,  to  look 
at  the  Kremlin  by  moonlight — and  beautiful  it  was — the 
sky  was  so  blue  one  could  almost  see  it  like  the  Italian 
summer  sky,  and  all  the  great  white  buildings  and  tow- 
ers stood  out  gloriously.  The  great  church  of  St.  Basile 
was  extraordinary.  The  colours,  pink,  green,  red,  yellow, 
all  so  vivid  that  even  at  night  one  quite  made  them  out. 


no    LETTERS   OF  A   DIPLOMAT'S   WIFE    [June 

It  is  a  mass  of  towers,  domes,  and  cupolas,  every  one 
different  in  shape,  work,  and  colour.  It  was  planned  and 
executed  by  an  Italian  architect,  and  the  story  is  that  the 
Czar  (of  the  epoch)  was  so  pleased,  and  at  the  same 
time  so  afraid  he  might  make  another  like  it,  that  he  had 
his  eyes  put  out.  It  was  curiously  dark  and  quiet  in- 
side— scarcely  any  light;  here  and  there  a  glimmer  high 
up  in  one  of  the  Palace  rooms.  We  met  two  or  three 
carriages  with  colleagues  driving  about  in  the  moonlight 
like  ourselves.  The  river,  too,  looked  beautiful  from  the 
terrace — a  broad  silver  band  with  moonlight  full  upon  it. 
I  took  a  last  look  at  the  black  Madonnna  in  the  gate- 
way, and  the  little  guard  of  Cossacks.  I  shall  often  think 
of  that  last  night  in  the  Kremlin  when  I  have  returned 
to  civilization  and  modern  life. 

I  will  send  this  off  by  to-morrow's  courier.  My  next 
letter  will  be  from  Petersburg.  My  little  boudoir  still 
looks  very  nice.  The  little  Russian  maid  is  rather  sad, 
and  has  been  in  and  out  20  times,  Hghting  candles,  open^ 
ing  and  shutting  doors  and  windows,  and  keeping  up  a 
stream  of  conversation  which  I  can't  possibly  understand, 
though  the  maids  say  they  do.  W.  is  deep  in  last  de- 
spatches, and  has  departed  to  his  own  quarters.  I 
haven't  learnt  any  Russian,  which  I  think  is  rather  weak 
on  my  part.  I  thought  I  would  have  some  lessons  at 
first,  but  I  don't  think  I  could  have  learnt  much  in  two 
weeks.  Lagrene  was  discouraging — says  he  knows  very 
little,  and  his  mother  is  a  Russian. 


1883]  ARRIVAL  IN  PETERSBURG  m 


To  H.  L.  K. 

Hotel  Demouth,  Petersburg, 
Jeudi,  14  Juin,  1883. 

We  arrived  here  last  night  at  12.30.  The  journey  was 
comfortable  enough,  but  long — the  Russian  trains  do 
not  go  a  terrifying  pace.  We  left  Moscow  at  9.30,  and 
the  Maison  Klein  a  little  before  9.  The  depart  was 
quite  imposing — all  the  personnel  drawn  up  at  the  foot 
of  the  stairs,  Lhermite  and  the  three  coachmen  outside 
at  the  door,  and  a  regiment  of  understrappers  of  all 
kinds.  The  little  Russian  maid  was  weeping  and  kissing 
my  skirts.  The  faithful  Benckendorfif  accompanied  us  to 
the  station  and  saw  us  safely  deposited  in  our  wagon- 
salon — each  Ambassador  had  one  and  a  smaller  one  for 
the  suite.  Two  Chamberlains,  not  attired  in  velvet  and 
gold  lace  this  time, — I  felt  rather  aggrieved  at  having 
ordinary  mortals  in  plain  clothes  to  look  after  us — were 
waiting  at  the  station  to  see  that  everything  was  well 
done,  and  they  went  with  us  to  Petersburg.  There  was 
a  Mongole  at  the  door  of  our  wagon  who  appeared  at 
intervals  with  tea,  oranges,  and  much  information  of  all 
kinds  (in  Russian).  We  had  all  our  meals  en  route 
— breakfast  at  11,  dinner  at  4.30,  a  nondescript  sort  of 
meal,  half  goiater,  half  supper,  with  cold  fish,  fowl,  may- 
onnaise, etc.,  at  8 — and  a  very  pretty  little  tea  at  10.30. 
We  all  partook  of  every  meal — how  we  managed  to  eat 
chicken  and  mayonnaaise  at  8,  having  dined  at  4.30, 
seems  a  mystery,  but  we  did. 

It  was  very  hot  at  starting — the  sun  pouring  down  on 
the  plains  that  are  around  Moscow — not  an  atom  of 
shade,  but  there  was  a  sharp  shower  about  2  which  cooled 
Aie  air.    They  tell  us  Petersburg  too  is  very  hot.    The 


112    LETTERS   OF  A  DIPLOMAT'S  ^VIFE   [Juke 

day  passed  quickly  enough.  Many  of  our  colleagues 
came  and  paid  us  visits.  The  Nuncio  sat  a  long  time. 
He  is  most  interesting,  with  that  delightful,  simple,  easy 
Italian  manner.  He  asked  us  a  great  deal  about  the  re- 
ligious ceremony  the  day  of  the  Coronation.  He  had 
only  arrived  after  that.  He  is  very  clever  and  sympa- 
thetic, ready  to  talk  about  anything,  and  so  moderate 
in  his  views.  I  think  he  would  have  a  great  success  in 
Paris,  where  people  love  to  discuss  and  analyze  every- 
thing. 

Our  Spanish  colleague  also  came  and  sat  with  us.  It 
seems  he  wanted  W.  to  come  to  his  carriage  and  drink 
champagne  and  play  cards  (very  high  play  too),  but  it 
was  conveyed  to  him  that  these  were  not  exactly  M. 
Waddington's  tastes.  Rumour  says  he  was  naively  sur- 
prised, and  said,  "Comment,  il  ne  joue  pas ! — le  pauvre 
homme !"  They  were  certainly  a  very  merry  party — we 
heard  roars  of  laughter  every  time  the  train  stopped. 
If  anyone  was  losing  heavily  he  took  it  most  cheerfully. 

Our  last  little  tea  at  10.30  was  really  very  pretty — 
several  round  tables  very  well  arranged  with  flowers,  tea, 
orangeade,  and  other  drinks — cakes,  petits  fours,  etc. 
(but  no  more  solid  food).  W.  struck  and  wouldn't  get 
out,  but  Richard  and  I  and  the  rest  of  the  men  were  quite 
ready  to  see  what  was  going  on.  Do  you  remember 
how  I  always  loved  getting  out  at  all  the  buffets  at  no 
matter  what  time  of  night,  when  we  used  to  go  down  to 
Italy  every  year?  I  think  the  buffet  at  Bologna  with 
its  "fricandeau  de  veau"  is  one  of  my  most  interesting 
souvenirs  of  travel  (not  from  an  artistic  point  of  view). 

The  arrival  at  Petersburg  was  curious.  It  was  quite 
light,  and  there  were  as  many  people  at  the  station  and 
in  the  streets  as  if  it  were  12  o'clock  in  the  day.  We  read 
distinctly  the  names  and  numbers  of  the  streets  and  the 


1883]  IN  THE  HERMITAGE  113 

signs  of  the  shops,  and  yet  it  wasn't  altogether  daylight — 
more  like  a  late  summer  afternoon.  We  found  very 
comfortable  rooms  here — a  large  salon  with  large  bed- 
rooms on  either  side,  and  a  room  next  to  me  for  Ade- 
laide. I  was  quite  ready  to  go  to  bed — the  heat  and  dust 
were  trying,  and  yet  it  seemed  funny  to  go  to  bed  by 
daylight.  They  brought  tea  of  course,  but  we  really 
couldn't  do  any  more,  so  I  departed  to  my  own  room. 
There  I  quite  lost  the  impression  of  daylight,  as  there 
were  double,  even  triple  curtains  to  all  the  windows. 

This  morning  we  slept  late  and  breakfasted  at  12.30, 
then  W.,  Richard,  and  I  went  ofif  in  a  carriage  to  the 
Hermitage  (the  great  Museum).  W.  sent  in  his  card  to 
the  Director  of  the  Museum  and  also  to  the  head  of  the 
Cabinet  des  Medailles,  as  he  wants  a  week's  work  at  the 
medals.  It  seems  there  is  a  splendid  collection  .here. 
The  gentlemen  were  very  civil,  and  we  made  rendezvous 
for  to-morrow,  W.  for  the  medals  and  Richard  and  I  for 
the  pictures.  The  Hermitage  is  an  immense  museum. 
We  shall  only  be  able  to  have  an  idea  of  what  is  in  it. 
We  walked  through  some  of  the  rooms — Peter  the 
Great's  gallery,  which  is  full  of  course  of  souvenirs — his 
clothes,  arms,  tools,  furniture,  horse  stuffed,  etc.,  and  in 
another  there  were  quantities  of  bibelots  of  all  kinds,  and 
presents  given  to  Peter  and  Catherine  II — a  collection  of 
snuff  boxes,  crystal  flagons,  and  goblets  (some  with 
precious  stones  encrusted  in  the  glass),  jewelled  belts  and 
caps — most  interesting. 

We  had  our  first  view  of  the  Neva  from  the  windows  of 
one  of  the  rooms.  It  rushes  past  Hke  the  sea,  so  broad 
and  strong,  with  very  fair  waves,  a  splendid  river.  We 
stayed  about  an  hour  lounging  through  the  rooms,  and 
then  went  on  for  a  general  view  of  the  city.  It  is  very 
handsome,   but  has  no    particular  cachet   (except   the 


114    LETTERS   OF  A   DIPLOMAT'S   WIFE    fjunb 

Neva)  at  this  season  of  the  year — one  ought  to  see  it  in 
winter  when  the  river  is  frozen  and  the  real  winter  Hfe  be- 
gins. It  looks  so  modern  after  Moscow.  We  went  to 
the  great  cathedral  of  St.  Isaac.  It  is  very  big  and  im- 
posing as  a  mass,  but  the  architecture  not  very  striking 
— afterwards  to  the  fortress  and  church  of  St.  Peter  and 
St.  Paul,  where  all  the  Emperors  are  buried — to  Peter 
the  Great's  house  (a  most  ordinary  little  wooden  build- 
ing), drove  a  little  along  the  quais,  where  the  lovely  fresh 
breeze  from  the  river  was  most  welcome  and  invigorat- 
ing after  the  heat  and  dust  of  Moscow. 

There  was  a  good  deal  of  life  on  the  river,  boats  of  all 
kinds.  We  think  of  going  by  steamer  to  Stockholm, 
all  along  the  coast  of  Finland.  They  tell  us  it  is  a  beauti- 
ful journey,  particularly  at  this  time  of  year,  with  the 
long,  clear  evenings.  I  want  to  see  the  boat  before  we 
decide,  as  I  have  an  idea  that  it  wouldn't  be  very  clean 
(they  say  the  boats  on  the  rivers  Volga,  etc.,  are  some- 
thing terrible).  We  wound  up  in  the  Perspective 
Nevsky — the  great  shopping  street,  but  didn't  get  out 
of  the  carriage,  merely  drove  through.  The  shops  look 
handsome  and  the  vitrines  well  arranged,  just  like  Paris. 
There  was  very  little  animation  in  the  streets  and  very 
few  carriages.  They  tell  us  many  people  have  already 
gone  away  for  the  summer. 

We  dined  quietly  at  the  hotel,  and  just  as  we  were 
finishing  Admiral  Jaures  came  in  to  suggest  that  we 
should  dine  at  Peterhof  to-morrow  afternoon.  He  says 
it  is  a  very  nice  excursion — a  short  hour  on  the  boat,  and 
we  can  get  a  fair  dinner  there.  About  9.30  we  started 
again  in  the  carriage  to  drive  to  the  Islands  or  "La 
Pointe" — the  great  rendezvous  in  summer  of  all  Peters- 
burg. It  is  a  long  hour's  drive,  crossing  quantities  of 
small  islands  all  connected  by  bridges,  and  one  finally 


1883]  THE  ISLANDS  115 

arrives  at  the  'Tointe,"  end  of  the  drive,  and  entrance  of 
the  Gulf  of  Finland.  There  all  the  carriages  draw  up, 
the  people  get  down  and  walk  about,  or  sit  on  the 
benches  at  the  water's  edge — a  regular  salon — in  sum- 
mer one  sees  all  the  people  who  are  still  "en  ville"  there. 
The  place  in  itself  is  not  at  all  pretty.  The  water  of  the 
Gulf  is  grey,  the  banks  low,  no  trees — but  the  air  waa 
delicious. 

We  met  almost  all  our  Moscow  colleagues — also 
Princess  Lise  Troubetzkoi,  who  was  delighted  to  see  W. 
and  plunge  into  Paris  politics.  She  wanted  us  to  go 
back  and  have  tea  with  her,  but  it  was  11  o'clock  and 
I  was  tired,  having  been  going  all  day — evidently  that  is 
what  people  do,  as  several  of  our  colleagues  too  asked 
us,  and  expressed  great  surprise  at  our  wanting  to  go 
home  so  early. 

We  didn't  get  back  to  the  hotel  until  12,  and  then 
loitered  a  little  in  the  salon,  as  the  windows  were  open, 
people  walking  and  driving  about  the  streets,  and 
nothing  to  make  us  think  it  was  midnight,  or  at  least  the 
midnight  we  are  accustomed  to.  They  brought  us  some 
tea,  and  a  little  before  one,  making  many  excuses,  I  re- 
tired, rather  feeling  as  if  I  were  going  to  bed  with  the 
chickens. 

Friday,  June  15th, 

We  have  been  all  the  morning  at  the  Hermitage,  and 
I  will  write  a  little  now  after  breakfast,  before  we  start 
for  Peterhof.  We  took  ourselves  off  early  in  a  droshky 
(Russian  fiacre),  the  porter  telling  the  coachman  where 
to  drive  to;  and  telling  us  how  much  to  give  him.  It 
was  a  lovely  morning,  not  too  warm,  and  we  enjoyed 
our  drive.  W.  was  shown  at  once  to  the  Cabinet  des 
Medailles,  where  the  Conservateur  was  waiting  for  him, 


ii6    LETTERS   OF  A  DIPLOMAT'S   WIFE    [June 

and  Richard  and  I  were  taken  in  hand  by  a  young  man 
attached  to  the  Museum  who  knew  his  work  well,  and 
was  remarkably  intelligent,  speaking  French  quite  well. 
The  pictures  are  beautiful — there  are  quantities  of  every 
possible  school.  The  finest  we  thought  the  Van  Dycks 
and  the  Rembrandts,  though  some  of  the  ItaHan  Madon- 
nas were  lovely  too.  I  like  the  Italian  Madonna  face  so 
much — it  is  so  pure  and  young  and  passionless.  Our 
guide  was  very  talkative,  and  very  anxious  to  know  what 
we  thought  of  the  Moscow  ceremonies.  We  stayed 
about  two  hours,  seeing  all  sorts  of  things  "en  passant" 
besides  the  pictures.  The  whole  Museum  is  crowded — 
I  don't  think  they  could  get  much  more  in. 

Saturday,  June  i6th. 

Our  excursion  to  Peterhof  was  delightful  yesterday 
afternoon.  We  took  the  four  o'clock  boat,  and  had  a 
nice  sail  down  of  an  hour  and  a  quarter.  The  Jaures 
came  with  us,  also  Pittie,  Fayet,  and  Calmon.  Cor- 
celle  went  back  to  Paris  from  Moscow — also  Sesmaisons, 
so  our  Mission  is  decidedly  diminished.  We  met  several 
of  our  Moscow  friends  on  the  boat — General  Richter, 
Comte  Worontzoff,  and  some  others.  The  Court  is  at 
Peterhof  and  they  are  all  established  there.  They  told 
us  the  Emperor  and  Empress  were  not  very  tired  after 
the  excitement  and  emotions  of  the  Coronation — very 
happy  that  all  had  gone  so  smoothly,  and  now  quite 
pleased  to  be  quietly  at  Peterhof  with  their  children. 

The  Russians  are  very  proud  of  Peterhof,  call  it  a 
"petit  Versailles,"  and  "petit"  it  certainly  is  in  com- 
parison; but  the  park  is  pretty,  well  laid  out,  with  ter- 
races and  gardens,  and  the  water-works  really  very  good 
indeed.  A  very  good  Circassian  band  was  playing,  and 
a  good  many  people  walking  about.     What  was  lovely 


1883]        AN  EXCURSION  TO  PETERHOF        117 

and  quite  unlike  Versailles  were  the  glimpses  of  the  sea 
one  had  on  all  sides.  We  got  carriages  and  drove  all 
about.  We  went  into  the  big  Palace,  where  the  present 
Emperor  never  lives.  He  prefers  a  small  place,  half  farm, 
half  cottage,  close  to  the  sea,  and  lives  there  quite  con- 
tentedly and  quietly  like  an  ordinary  country  gentleman. 
However  we  couldn't  get  anywhere  near  that  villa — the 
gates  and  alleys  were  closed,  and  guards  and  soldiers 
everywhere. 

We  dined  very  badly  at  a  restaurant  we  had  been  told 
of  on  the  sea,  and  took  the  10  o'clock  boat  home.  The 
return  was  enchanting — a  beautiful  starHght  night,  and 
fresh,  soft  breeze.  I  had  a  nice  talk  with  Mdme.  Jaures, 
who  told  me  a  good  deal  of  Russian  ways  and  life.  I 
think  she  is  glad  to  go  back  to  France,  and  "au  fond" 
there  are  very  few  French  women  who  care  to  live 
abroad  altogether.  After  three  or  four  years  they  get 
homesick  for  their  own  country.  She  asked  me  if  I  was 
never  homesick  for  America — but  I  told  her  I  had  been 
so  long  away,  and  my  life  had  been  such  a  full  one  that 
I  sometimes  asked  myself  was  I  the  same  little  girl  that 
used  to  run  wild  in  the  country  at  home  with  a  donkey 
cart  and  a  big  Newfoundland  dog.  Those  years  seem  so 
long  ago  the  memory  is  getting  duller.  Sometimes  I 
shut  my  eyes  and  see  quite  well  the  big  white  house  with 
the  piazzas,  and  the  climbing  roses,  the  cherry  trees,  and 
the  white  gate  with  the  sharp  turn,  and  the  ditch  where 
we  upset  so  often  in  the  sleighs — all  the  children  tum- 
bling  out  into  the  snow  drift,  and  nobody  minding. 

We  got  home  at  11.30  and  found  letters,  which  we 
read  quite  easily  at  the  window.  It  is  a  wonderful  light 
— no  one  ever  seems  to  think  of  going  to  bed. 

This  morning  we  have  been  again  at  the  Hermitage  to 
finish  the  pictures.     Decidedly  the  Rembrandts  are  the 


ii8    LETTERS   OF  A  DIPLOMAT'S   WIFE    [June 

gems  of  the  collection.  There  was  one  old  man  in  a  sort 
of  fur  robe  and  cap,  with  a  wrinkled  yellow  face,  whose 
eyes  seemed  quite  alive,  and  followed  us  all  round  the 
room.  We  left  W.  with  his  medals  and  a  sort  of  clerk 
attached  to  the  Cabinet  des  Medailles.  It  seems  they 
never  leave  anybody  alone  in  the  room  with  the  medals. 
W.  is  delighted,  he  has  found  some  rare  coins  he  had 
never  seen,  and  he  means  to  have  a  good  day's  work, 
will  not  come  back  to  breakfast  with  us. 

Our  young  man.  Baron  Leeven,  is  always  with  us,  and 
meets  us  at  the  Winter  Palace  this  afternoon  to  show  us 
the  rooms.  Our  Mission  is  dwindling;  Fayet  went 
off  this  morning,  Pittie  and  Calm.on  go  Monday.  Rich- 
ard remains  to  make  the  journey  with  us  to  Stock- 
holm by  sea.  We  have  just  come  in  from  a  pleasant 
dinner  at  the  Juares'.  The  Embassy  is  small,  but  very 
well  arranged,  and  we  had  a  very  good,  handsome  din- 
ner. All  the  personnel  of  the  Embassy,  Vannutelli  and 
his  two  auditeurs,  and  the  French  Consul  and  his  wife. 
Admiral  Juares  was  very  hospitable  and  en  train — all 
sailors  are,  I  wonder  why?  The  officers  of  high  rank 
must  have  so  many  lonely  hours,  and  are  such  swells 
on  their  ships,  where  no  one  can  associate  much  with 
them,  that  one  would  think  it  would  make  them  rather 
silent  and  reserved  from  long  habit — but  it  is  quite  the 
contrary.  In  all  nations  sailors  are  generally  cultivated, 
and  good  talkers. 

We  shall  become  quite  intimate  with  Vannutelli.  We 
met  him  at  the  Winter  Palace  this  afternoon,  and  went 
all  about  together.  I  can't  say  I  found  it  very  interest- 
ing. The  rooms  are  handsome — high,  generally  white, 
with  quantities  of  pictures — the  portraits,  some  very  old 
ones,  interesting — the  large  modern  pictures  of  battles 
by  sea  and  land  less  so.     I  like  very  much  the  pictures  of 


1883]  AT  THE  WINTER  PALACE  119 

Peter  the  Great.  He  has  a  keen,  striking  face,  must  have 
had  splendid  eyes,  very  intelligent,  in  some  of  the  por- 
traits almost  inspired,  hard,  not  cruel.  They  were  very 
anxious  to  show  us  the  rooms  where  the  late  Emperor 
died,  but  there  had  been  some  mistake,  and  the  man  who 
has  charge  of  the  room  could  not  be  found,  nor  the  key 
either.  I  was  very  glad  (not  that  I  should  have  gone 
in),  for  they  said  it  was  a  horrid  sight — the  camp-bed 
and  even  his  clothes  left  as  they  were,  thick  with  blood. 
He  was  carried  there  directly  after  the  attentat,  and  died 
on  the  little  camp-bed.  What  I  liked  best  was  the  splen- 
did view  again  of  the  Neva  from  the  windows  of  the  ball- 
room. It  looked  a  beautiful  blue  sea,  the  weaves  dancing 
in  the  afternoon  light,  and  all  the  white  sails  standing  out 
well  in  the  sun.  The  two  young  men  who  were  with  us 
were  most  amusing.  They  showed  us  all  the  pictures  in 
detail  except  those  concerning  the  Grande  xA^rmee  and  the 
disastrous  retreat.  We  were  hurried  past  them,  "rien  de 
tres  interessant,  Madame — pas  la  peine  de  s'arreter ." 

Sunday,  June  17th. 

This  morning  we  went  to  the  French  Protestant 
Church — a  large  room  with  white  walls,  and  benches. 
There  were  very  few  people,  but  they  tell  us  it  is  fairly 
full  in  winter.  There  is  a  large  French  colony — shop- 
keepers, theatre  people,  etc.,  and  a  great  many  Protes- 
tants. The  Pasteur  preached  a  very  fair,  sensible  ser- 
mon. 

After  breakfast  we  had  some  visitors — Sir  Edward 
Thornton,  who  wants  us  to  dine  one  night;  and  a  nice 
man,  a  Russian  (whose  name  I  never  knew),  but  who 
told  us  to  come  to  this  hotel  in  which  he  is  interested, 
and  who  has  offered  to  go  shopping  with  us  one  day, 
and  show  us  the  best  fur-shops.     We  went  for  a  drive 


120    LETTERS   OF  A  DIPLOMAT'S   WIFE   [June 

in  the  afternoon  to  the  Park  Catherine,  where  a  sort  of 
fete  populaire  was  going  on.  There  were  a  great  many 
people,  and  a  great  many  poHcemen  (as  there  always  are 
here),  one  would  think  they  lived  in  perpetual  fear  of  an 
emeute,  and  yet  the  people  all  looked  so  subdued  and  re- 
pressed— I  haven't  seen  one  fierce  face.  The  quantity 
of  moujiks  in  their  red  shirts  made  a  good  effect  of 
colour,  but  the  women  are  not  attractive,  nor  pretty. 
All  are  wrapped  up  in  shawls,  with  a  handkerchief  over 
their  heads. 

We  had  a  pleasant  dinner  at  the  Hunts'  (United  States 
Legation),  all  their  people,  including  of  course  George 
Wurts,  whom  I  was  very  pleased  to  see  again — Admiral 
Baldwin  and  his  two  Aides-de-camp  Rogers  and  Paul, 
and  M.  et  Mdme.  de  Struve.  They  are  just  going  to 
America — he  is  named  Minister  there.  They  have  been 
in  Japan,  and  didn't  seem  very  keen  about  America.  I 
should  think  they  would  like  it  better  than  Japan,  but  I 
believe  he  hoped  for  some  post  in  Europe.  She  was 
very  amusing,  and  from  her  account  life  in  Japan  must 
still  be  very  primitive. 

We  came  away  early — about  10.30 — and  have  been 
poring  over  guide-books  ever  since,  making  out  our 
journey,  always  at  the  window  (11  o'clock  at  night,  and 
with  no  lamps). 

Tuesday,  June  19th. 
We  had  a  charming  afternoon  yesterday  at  Cronstadt 
on  the  Lancaster,  Admiral  Baldwin's  flag-ship.  He  had 
invited  all  the  Corps  Diplomatique,  and  the  few  Russians 
who  are  still  in  Petersburg,  Jomini,  Struve,  Bencken- 
dorff,  etc.  We  started  about  3.30  in  the  regular  Rus- 
sian steamer,  and  once  under  way  the  breeze  was  deli- 
cious.    I  wore  my  white  batiste  with  Valenciennes,  and 


1883]  ON  AN  AMERICAN  FRIGATE  121 

a  big  black  hat  (which  wasn't  very  practical  on  the 
steamer,  as  the  wind  blew  the  feathers  about  consider- 
ably, but  I  thought  it  looked  so  nice  with  the  white 
dress).  The  American  ship  looked  beautiful  as  we  drew 
near — an  old-fashioned  frigate,  all  dressed  with  flags. 
The  getting  on  board  was  not  very  easy,  as  she  lay  far 
out,  and  we  had  to  get  into  small  boats  from  our 
steamer  and  go  out  to  her.  It  didn't  look  very  pleas- 
ant when  they  put  the  steps  down  and  told  us  to  jump. 
There  were  fair  waves,  and  when  they  told  us  to  jump 
the  boat  was  apparently  nowhere  near,  but  of  course 
swung  under  the  steps  on  the  top  of  the  wave  at  the 
right  moment.  Lady  Thornton  got  down  all  right,  so 
did  I;  but  one  of  our  colleagues  had  a  most  trying  time. 
She  was  stout  and  nervous,  looked  wretched  when  she 
was  standing  on  the  steps  between  two  strong  sailors 
who  told  her  to  jump.  She  did  her  best,  poor  thing,  and 
several  times  we  in  the  boat  below  saw  a  stout  white  leg 
suddenly  descend,  but  it  was  immediately  drawn  back, 
and  she  never  let  go  of  her  sailors.  Her  husband,  man- 
like, was  furious,  which  of  course  made  her  much  more 
nervous;  however,  after  several  attempts  she  gave  it  up, 
and  they  lowered  her  in  an  arm-chair,  which  didn't  look 
quite  comfortable  either  when  it  was  suspended  in  the 
air  waiting  for  the  boat  to  arrive. 

We  danced  about  well  in  the  little  boat,  for  every  time 
it  came  up,  and  she  didn't  come  down,  we  had  to  go  back 
and  repeat  the  performance.  The  American  Legation 
got  ofT  first  and  were  received  by  a  salute  of  1 5  guns,  and 
then  we  followed.  The  Admiral  with  all  his  of^cers  re- 
ceived us  at  the  top  of  the  ladder,  and  the  band  played 
our  national  airs,  and  they  gave  the  Ambassador's  salute, 
17  guns,  and  a  great  noise  it  made  just  over  our  heads 
as  we  were  mounting  the  ladder.     Lady  Thornton  and 


122    LETTERS  OF  A  DIPLOMAT'S  WIFE   U^nh 

her  husband  were  in  front  of  me,  and  I  heard  the  "God 
Save  The  Queen" — then  came  the  "Marseillaise,"  and 
for  a  moment  I  forgot  I  was  a  Frenchwoman  and  looked 
to  see  whom  the  "Marseillaise"  was  for  (W.  hadn't  come 
in  the  boat  with  me,  waited  for  the  second  one),  but  I 
recovered  myself  in  time  to  bow  and  smile  my  thanks. 

I  was  delighted  to  find  myself  on  an  American  ship, 
I  so  rarely  see  American  officers  of  any  kind.  The  ship 
was  in  splendid  condition,  so  beautifully  clean.  We  had 
a  very  handsome  dinner  in  the  Admiral's  cabin.  He 
took  me  down  to  see  the  table  before  all  the  guests  came, 
and  very  pretty  it  looked,  quantities  of  flowers  and  some 
handsome  silver.  No  one  enjoyed  the  day  more  than 
Mgr.  Vannutelli.  He  had  a  little  doubt  about  coming, 
as  he  heard  there  w^as  to  be  dancing,  and  consulted  us 
about  it.  We  told  him  the  dancing  would  be  mild,  and 
he  might  never  have  a  chance  to  see  a  big  American 
ship  again,  and  strongly  advised  him  to  come. 

While  Lady  Thornton  and  I  were  sitting  together  one 
of  the  young  officers  came  up  to  her  (she  knew  several 
of  them,  as  they  were  some  years  in  Washington)  saying 
he  heard  one  of  the  Ambassadresses  was  an  American, 
did  she  know  which  one,  and  could  she  introduce  him. 
"Certainly,"  she  said,  "it  is  Madame  Waddington,  wife 
of  the  French  Ambassador,  who  is  sitting  next  to  me 
now,"  and  immediately  presented  the  young  man,  who 
said  he  had  been  looking  at  all  the  ladies  to  see  which 
was  the  American,  but  hadn't  placed  me,  he  supposed 
because  he  heard  me  speaking  French.  We  became 
great  friends,  and  he  took  me  all  over  the  ship.  We 
danced  a  little  on  deck — a  quadrille  d'honneur — I  with 
my  friend  Schimmelpenninck,  Lady  Thornton  with 
Jaures,  Madame  Jaures  with  Admiral  Baldwin.  Then  we 
left  the  dancing  to  the  young  ones  and  sat  quietly  on 


1883]  AN   INCIDENT   IN   MILAN  123 

deck  till  it  was  time  to  go.  Just  as  we  were  starting  the 
Admiral  asked  me  if  I  w^ould  say  a  few  words  to  the  band 
— they  were  almost  all  Italians.  I  went  over  at  once  and 
talked  to  them,  so  did  the  Nuncio,  which  of  course  de- 
lighted them. 

We  started  back  about  9  in  a  special  Russian  steamer. 
The  sea  was  much  calmer,  and  the  getting  off  one  boat 
and  on  another  was  not  such  a  difficult  operation  even 

for  poor  Mdme.  A .     The  sail  back  was  about  two 

hours — quite  enchanting  in  that  beautiful  northern  twi- 
light, and  we  were  all  sorry  when  it  came  to  an  end. 

This  morning  it  is  very  warm,  and  I  am  rather  seedy, 
so  I  have  stayed  quietly  at  home.  Richard  and  I  break- 
fasted tete-a-tete,  as  W.  was  off  at  an  early  hour  to  his 
medals,  and  won't  be  back  until  dark.  I  wonder  if  the 
Russian  officials  will  be  as  astonished  at  his  capacity  for 
a  long  spell  of  work  as  the  Italians  were.  They  struck 
after  two  days  of  such  work,  and  then  took  it  in  turns. 
One  day  at  Milan  I  went  to  get  him  at  the  end  of  the 
day,  as  we  were  going  to  drive  somewhere  in  the  country, 
so  the  Italian  smiled  all  over,  and  almost  winked,  saying, 
''Ah,  Madame  est  venue  voir  si  Monsieur  etait  vraiment 
aux  Medailles  toute  la  journee."  I  suppose  he  felt  that 
he  wouldn't  have  stayed  working  all  those  hours,  and 
also  quite  understood  that  I  suspected  W.  of  doing 
something  else. 

We  have  had  a  nice  visit  from  Benckendorfif,  who  has 
told  us  all  about  the  boat  we  want  to  take  to  go  to 
Stockholm.  He  says  they  are  Swedish  boats,  very  clean, 
and  very  good  food;  also  very  few  people  at  this  time 
of  the  year. 

Now  I  must  dress  and  go  with  Richard  to  pay  some 
visits.  Calmon  will  go  and  see  you  and  give  you  all  our 
news.    He  won't  tell  you  what  I  will,  that  he  had  a  great 


124    LETTERS   OF  A  DIPLOMAT'S   WIFE    Qune 

success  in  Moscow — his  artillery  uniform,  the  astrakhan 
tunique,  was  very  becoming — all  the  ladies  found  him 
*'tres  beau  gargon."  I  must  add  too  that  Richard  also 
had  a  great  success — evidently  artillery  uniform  is  be- 
coming. It  was  rather  amusing  to  see  the  face  of  one  of 
the  young  ladies  when  I  made  some  reference  to  Ma- 
dame Richard  Waddington.  "M.  Waddington  married — 
I  never  should  have  dreamed  of  it" — and  after  a  moment, 
''What  is  his  wife  like?"  doubtfully.  "Is  she  pretty?" 
*'Well,  yes,  she  is  very  pretty."  Richard  won't  tell  you 
that  either  when  he  comes  back,  but  I  shall  tell  Louise. 

How  curious  all  the  Moscow  life  will  seem  when  I  am 
settled  again  at  Bourneville — walking  in  the  park  with 
the  children,  riding  all  over  the  country  with  W.,  and 
leading  an  absolutely  quiet  life.  I  hope  I  shall  remem- 
ber all  I  want  to  tell  you. 


To  H.  L.  K. 

Hotel  Demoult,  Petersburg, 
Wednesday,  June  20th,  1883. 

Richard  and  I  went  visiting  yesterday.  We  found  the 
Thorntons,  who  gave  us  tea.  Their  Embassy  is  charm- 
ing— a  big  house  on  the  Quai  Anglais.  The  drawing- 
rooms  are  large  and  high.  All  the  windows  look  out 
on  the  Neva,  and  they  say  it  is  quite  beautiful  at  night. 
Then  we  went  back  to  the  hotel,  got  W.,  who  had  had  a 
fine  morning  with  his  medals — says  the  collection  is  mag- 
nificent, much  larger  than  he  had  any  idea  of,  and  started 
of¥  to  the  Quais  to  see  our  boat.  We  leave  to-morrow 
evening  between  6  and  7.  It  looked  very  nice  and  clean, 
and  the  Captain  was  quite  overwhelmed  with  the  dis- 
tinguished passengers  he  was  to  have  the  honour  of 


1883]  LAST  DAYS  IN  PETERSBURG  125 

transporting.  We  have  an  enormous  cabin  (two  thrown 
into  one)  big  enough  for  a  family.  I  interviewed  the 
stewardess,  a  nice  fresh-looking  Norwegian  woman. 
Conversation  was  rather  difficult,  as  I  spoke  German 
and  she  Norwegian,  and  neither  of  us  understood  the 
other,  but  I  am  sure  we  shall  get  on  very  well.  They 
tell  us  the  voyage  is  enchanting,  all  in  and  out  of  small 
fiords,  islands,  and  narrow  rivers.  We  stop  five  or  six 
hours  each  day  to  see  the  country,  and  never  have  any 
sea  until  we  cross  to  Stockholm,  when  it  is  generally 
rough. 

We  dined  quietly  at  the  hotel  with  Coutouly,  our 
Consul,  a  very  nice  man,  very  intelligent.  He  too  had 
interviewed  the  Captain,  and  told  him  to  take  every  care 
of  us.  He  says  the  trip  is  enchanting,  and  the  two  Fin- 
nish towns,  Helsingfors  and  Abo,  very  well  worth  seeing. 
About  10  o'clock  we  drove  off  to  the  "Pointe"  and  had 
a  pleasant  hour  with  some  of  the  colleagues.  It  is  al- 
ways cool  there,  and  the  drive  out  is  interesting,  so  unlike 
anything  else. 

Richard  went  of¥  early  this  morning  with  Sermet  and 
Moulin  of  the  French  Embassy  to  see  the  Falls  of 
Smatra,  which  are  said  to  be  very  fine.  We  pick  him 
up  at  Helsingfors. 

I  walked  about  a  little  with  Adelaide — I  never  see 
anything  the  least  like  a  femme  du  monde  in  the  streets. 
I  suppose  the  ''societe"  are  away  for  the  summer,  and 
the  streets  look  rather  as  September  streets  do  in  Paris. 

W.  and  I  dined  at  the  Thorntons' — handsome  and 
pleasant.  Jaures  was  there,  not  his  wife,  she  has  already 
started  for  Paris,  and  the  Ternaux  Compans,  a  nice  young 
menage  (just  married)  attached  to  the  Embassy.  She 
was  very  well  dressed,  in  white.  There  was  also  the 
Danish  Minister  (I  forget  his  name).     He  is  a  friend  of 


126    LETTERS   OF  A  DIPLOMAT'S   WIFE    [June 

the  Empress  and  tres  bien  vu  a  la  cour.  After  dinner 
someone  played  on  the  piano,  and  he  and  Mary  Thorn- 
ton danced  a  little,  showing  us  some  of  the  figures  of  the 
mazurka.  Lady  Thornton  says,  like  everyone  else,  that 
the  society  of  Petersburg  is  very  ferme.  They  know 
everybody,  but  I  fancy  very  few  of  the  diplomatists  make 
real  friends  with  anyone.  I  was  rather  surprised,  as  the 
Russians  one  meets  abroad  are  generally  very  easy  and 
sociable.  She  also  finds  the  climate  very  trying.  She 
showed  me  all  the  rooms,  which  are  charming.  In  all 
the  bedrooms  very  thick  curtains,  as  the  light  is  most 
trying,  and  of  course  people  who  live  there  must  have 
regular  hours  for  sleep — for  us  birds  of  passage  it  is  of 
no  consequence,  and  going  to  bed  seems  the  last  thing 
one  would  think  of  doing  in  Petersburg. 

We  came  home  about  ii,  and  now  W.  is  busy  over 
his  Paris  letters,  also  putting  his  notes  in  order,  as  he 
has  finished  with  the  medals.  He  has  had  three  or  four 
days  of  real  hard  work,  but  says  it  rested  him  after  all  the 
Court  festivities. 

Jeudi,  21  Juin. 

We  have  been  shopping  all  the  morning, — W.  and  I 
and  M.  Lomatch  (I  have  found  his  name).  We  bought, 
among  other  things,  a  sled  for  Francis — I  haven't  seen 
one  since  I  left  America — and  a  good  deal  of  Russian 
lace,  which  they  say  is  very  solid,  and  embroidery.  We 
came  back  to  a  late  breakfast,  and  I  am  writing  now  at 
the  last  moment  while  they  are  carrying  down  the  trunks. 
We  are  going  at  4  to  the  steamer  to  leave  our  boxes 
and  Adelaide,  and  install  ourselves,  and  then  go  for  tea 
to  Coutouly,  who  has  an  apartment  on  the  Quai,  just  op- 
posite the  wharf  where  the  steamer  starts  from.  I  am 
quite  sorry  to  go.     We  are  very  comfortable  here,  and 


i883]  AT    SEA  127 

the  streets  are  so  amusing.  I  should  like  once  to  hear  a 
little  laughing  and  singing,  as  the  various  groups  of 
work-people,  soldiers,  and  peasants  pass — but  they  are  a 
curiously  sad,  subdued  race. 

Friday,  June  2 2d.      '^  En  mer." 

We  are  just  approaching  Helsingfors  (twelve  o'clock), 
where  we  go  on  shore  for  some  hours,  and  I  will  write 
a  little.  I  have  a  nice  straw  arm-chair  on  deck  (the  sail 
shades  me),  a  table  with  books,  papers,  etc.  We  em- 
barked at  6.30  yesterday.  We  went  on  the  boat  about 
4 — saw  the  Captain,  a  very  nice  man,  a  Finn,  who  speaks 
English  quite  well,  and  who  is  much  pleased  to  have  us 
on  his  boat.  He  went  down  to  the  cabin  with  us,  which 
is  really  a  large,  airy  room,  with  two  very  fair  beds,  and 
a  sort  of  recess  which  makes  a  dressing-room.  It  opens 
into  the  ladies'  cabin,  where  he  had  also  arranged  the  end 
near  our  cabin  for  us — two  arm-chairs,  a  table,  etc.  Ade- 
laide has  a  nice  state-room  just  opposite — also  Richard. 
There  were  not  many  people  on  board — and  he  said  he 
hadn't  many  passengers,  chiefly  men. 

We  left  cloaks,  books,  etc.,  and  walked  across  to  the 
Coutoulys',  who  have  a  nice  apartment  directly  on  the 
river.  It  is  so  broad  and  swift  one  feels  almost  as  if  one 
was  on  the  sea-shore.  There  is  much  passing  all  the 
time,  and  a  good  many  little  posts,  as  at  Venice,  where 
the  boats  are  tied.  They  gave  us  tea,  and  about  6  we 
went  back  to  the  boat. 

Jaures  was  there  with  some  of  his  young  men,  and 
Benckendorff,  who  came  to  say  a  last  good-bye  this  time. 
We  gave  him  rendezvous  in  Paris,  as  we  should  Hke  very 
much  to  do  something  for  him.  He  was  untiring  and 
devoted  to  us  all  the  time  we  were  at  Moscow — never 
tired,  always  taking  a  great  deal  of  trouble  to  see  that 


128    LETTERS    OF   A   DIPLOMAT'S   WIFE    [June 

we  were  well  taken  care  of,  and  helping  us  in  every  way. 
I  found  three  or  four  handsome  bouquets  in  the  cabin — 
one  from  him,  and  one  from  M.  Lomatch,  the  proprietor 
of  our  hotel.  He  has  written  to  the  hotel  at  Stockholm 
for  rooms  for  us.  We  arrive  Sunday  morning — have 
three  nights  at  sea.  Adelaide  is  quite  excited  at  the 
prospect  of  a  real  voyage  "en  mer." 

We  had  a  very  good  supper  about  8.30,  just  as  we 
were  passing  Cronstadt.  We  have  made  a  very  nice 
arrangement  for  our  meals.  The  idea  of  a  table-d'hote 
with  all  the  people  who  are  on  board  (many  more  than 
I  thought)  was  appalling,  so  we  are  to  have  all  our 
meals  half  an  hour  before  the  others  at  a  small  table  in 
the  dining-room.  It  is  a  most  satisfactory  arrange- 
ment, and  we  had  a  nice  quiet  hour  on  deck  while 
the  other  passengers  were  supping.  It  was  a  lovely 
evening — the  sea  absolutely  calm,  and  so  warm  I  hardly 
needed  my  cloak.  We  sat  late  on  deck.  They  brought 
us  a  table  with  tea  and  Swedish  punch,  which  seems  to 
be  the  favourite  drink  here. 

The  passengers  all  came  up  after  their  supper.  They 
were  quiet  enough — all  had  tea,  punch,  and  cigars,  and 
a  great  many  played  cards.  The  men  look  like  commis- 
voyageurs,  or  small  shopkeepers — almost  all,  I  should 
think,  Swedes  or  Norwegians.  There  are  three  or  four 
English  women  and  girls,  governesses,  the  Captain  tells 
me,  going  to  Stockholm  and  Christiania. 

We  went  down  to  our  cabin  about  12 — always  the 
same  curious  grey  light.  I  slept  perfectly  well.  It 
seemed  to  me  there  was  a  little  roulis  about  3  o'clock 
(I  heard  a  clock  strike  somewhere),  but  it  was  only  pleas- 
ant. I  was  up  at  8  and  had  my  tea  and  toast  in  the 
ladies'  cabin  close  to  a  port-hole,  and  was  rather  sorry 
I  hadn't  had  it  on  deck.     I  went  up  as  soon  as  I  had 


1883]  HELSINGFORS  129 

finished.  We  were  passing  through  a  series  of  little 
bays,  all  dotted  over  with  islands,  some  fairly  large,  some 
merely  a  granite  rock  with  a  pine  tree  on  it. 

Saturday,  June  23d.  *'  En  mer.** 
I  was  interrupted  yesterday  by  the  Captain,  who  came 
to  get  us  to  stand  on  the  passerelle  with  him  and  see  the 
approach  to  Helsingfors.  The  bay  has  widened  out  into 
a  sea,  and  the  harbour  seems  important.  There  are  lots 
of  ships  and  steamers — also  small  boats  going  backwards 
and  forwards  between  them  and  the  quais.  The  men  in 
the  boats  wear  a  red  cap,  something  like  the  Neapolitan 
fishermen.  The  town  stands  out  well — there  are  high 
cliffs  rising  straight  out  of  the  sea,  and  a  great  many 
steeples  (not  the  green  and  pink  cupolas  of  Moscow). 

We  found  Richard  and  our  Consul  waiting  for  us  on 
the  Quai,  iind  we  drove  at  once  to  the  hotel,  and  break- 
fasted. The  steamer  remains  until  12  o'clock  to-night, 
so  we  have  ample  time  to  see  the  town.  Just  as  we  were 
finishing  breakfast  a  gentleman  appeared,  a  director  of 
something  (Postes  et  Telegraphes,  I  think)  who  came 
to  do  the  lionours  in  the  absence  of  the  Governor.  He 
had  an  open  carriage  with  a  pair  of  nice  little  Russian 
horses,  and  drove  us  all  over  the  town.  Helsingfors  is 
the  capital  of  Finland,  and  I  believe  flourishing  enough. 
The  town  is  small  and  rambling — entirely  surrounded 
by  water,  and  quantities  of  little  islands  connected  by 
bridges.  ]  think  we  must  have  crossed  about  20.  Some 
of  the  villjis  are  large  with  nice  gardens.  The  Director 
showed  us  his,  which  looked  pretty  and  comfortable. 
The  streets  are  narrow — not  much  movement.  The 
names  of  the  streets  are  written  in  three  languages — 
Russian,  Swedish,  Finnish.  All  the  functionaries  are 
Russian,  the  small  merchants  and  shopkeepers  Swedish, 


130    LETTERS   OF  A  DIPLOMAT'S   WIFE    [June 

and  the  peasants  and  sailors  Finns.  They  (Finns)  have 
a  very  marked  type  of  their  own,  not  particularly  Rus- 
sian, nothing  of  the  Tartar,  only  very  Northern. 

We  dined  at  the  famous  Cafe  du  Pare.  W.  invited 
the  Director  and  the  Consul  to  dine  with  us,  and  we  had 
a  pleasant  little  dinner,  fairly  good.  There  was  a  good 
orchestra,  who  had  evidently  been  told  who  we  were,  for 
as  soon  as  we  arrived  they  played  the  "Marseillaise"  very 
well.  It  caused  quite  a  sensation  among  the  people  who 
were  dining,  as  they  evidently  hadn't  noticed  particularly 
the  quiet  party  which  came  in — all  of  us  of  course  in 
travelling  dresses.  The  chef  d'orchestre  asked  our  Di- 
rector if  we  would  like  to  hear  some  national  airs — 
which  they  played  very  well,  and  then  I  asked  for  the 
Polonaise  from  Glinka's  "La  Vie  pour  le  Czar,"  which 
they  always  played  in  Moscow  whenever  the  Imperial 
cortege  arrived. 

At  II  o'clock  the  Consul's  steam  launch  came  (the 
cafe  is  on  the  water),  and  he  took  us  all  about  the  inner 
harbour,  most  curious  and  interesting,  and  then  outside. 
It  was  a  beautiful  moonlight  night,  and  we  went  some- 
times so  close  up  to  one  of  the  islands  that  we  could  have 
spoken  to  anyone  on  the  shore  if  there  had  been  any- 
body to  speak  to — sometimes  we  were  in  what  seemed  a 
great  lake,  with  no  perceptible  outlet.  We  cruised  about 
until  midnight,  then  went  back  to  the  hotel,  and  walked 
down  to  the  steamer.  The  light  had  changed — was 
rather  like  dawn,  but  perfectly  light.  There  were  people 
and  carriages,  children,  badauds,  loitering  about  the 
wharf.  They  told  us  a  steamer  had  started  two  or  three 
hours  earlier  with  tourists  on  board  to  see  the  midnight 
sun. 

We  stayed  on  deck  about  half  an  hour  to  see  the  de- 
part.    The  light  was  getting  much  stronger — Richard 


i883]  TWO  ENGLISH  GIRLS  131 

read  a  letter  quite  easily,  and  at  i  o'clock,  when  I  went 
down  to  the  cabin,  the  sun  w^as  shining  bright.  I  am 
writing  now  on  deck  after  breakfast.  Young  Moltke,  a 
Dane,  came  on  board  last  night,  and  asked  if  he  might 
have  his  meals  with  us.  He  too  had  been  at  the  Corona- 
tion, and  found  the  standing  all  those  hours  very  tiring. 
The  day  is  beautiful — the  sea  perfectly  calm,  and  the 
long,  lazy  hours  on  deck  most  resting. 

This  morning  I  was  interviewed  by  two  English  girls 
— both  young  and  rather  pretty,  the  fair  English  type. 
One  was  a  governess  going  back  to  her  place,  somewhere 
near  Stockholm,  in  the  country;  the  other  was  just  going 
out  on  a  venture,  had  no  engagement,  knew  no  language 
but  her  own,  and  had  merely  made  the  acquaintance  of 
the  other  girl  on  the  boat.  I  suggested  it  was  rather  a 
risk  coming  so  far  without  anything  definite;  but  she  said 
she  w^as  sure  she  would  find  something,  and  she  had  a 
little  money.  I  asked  her  how  old  she  was — 17.  ''How 
could  your  parents  let  you  start  ofi  like  that?"  "Oh, 
there  are  so  many  of  us,  and  I  am  strong."  They  then 
asked  me  if  I  would  tell  them  something  about  the 
Coronation — so  I  talked  to  them  a  few  minutes.  They 
asked  me  if  I  saw  many  Nihilists — as  if  they  were  a 
marked  class — and  did  the  Empress  look  nervous. 

I  have  also  managed  to  talk  a  little  to  the  stewardess, 
or  rather  to  understand  her — as  I  have  made  out  that  she 
is  married,  and  has  young  children,  and  no  one  apparently 
to  leave  them  w^ith  while  she  is  cruising  about. 

I  wish  I  could  sketch,  there  are  so  many  charming  lit- 
tle bits  of  scenery  that  I  w^ould  like  to  bring  home  with 
me.  We  are  getting  near  Abo,  and  I  must  stop.  To- 
night is  to  be  our  rough  night  in  the  Baltic.  At  the 
present  moment  the  sea  is  like  glass,  but  the  Captain  says 
there  is  always  movement  crossing  over  to  Stockholm. 


132    LETTERS   OF  A  DIPLOMAT'S   WIFE    [June 

I  should  like  to  go  on  forever  in  the  boat.  The  long, 
long  hours  on  the  deck  with  this  soft  grey  sea  and  sky, 
with  nobody  to  talk  to,  and  no  dressing  of  any  kind  are 
enchanting.  I  have  got  a  book,  Tolstoy's  "Guerre  et 
Paix,"  but  I  don't  seem  to  get  on  much — I  am  always 
looking  at  something. 

8  o'clock. 

We  have  just  got  back  after  a  lovely  afternoon  at  Abo 
(the  old  capital  of  Finland).  The  approach  was  very 
picturesque  as  we  went  some  distance  up  a  narrow  river 
to  the  town,  which  is  not  directly  on  the  sea.  Our  Vice- 
Consul  was  waiting  on  the  quai  with  a  carriage,  and  we 
drove  all  over  the  place.  It  is  now  a  dead  city — all  the 
life  and  interest  of  Finland  is  absorbed  by  Helsingfors, 
but  it  is  interesting.  We  saw  the  Cathedral,  the  public 
gardens,  and  then  drove  some  distance  into  the  country 
to  see  the  oldest  church  in  Finland — a  little  old,  grey 
building  that  looks  any  age.  The  country  is  very  pretty, 
always  charming  views  of  the  sea,  and  a  few  villas  dotted 
about,  but  nothing  like  as  many  as  at  Helsingfors.  It 
seems  people  come  sometimes  in  summer  for  sea  air, 
bathing,  and  fishing,  and  occasionally  English  yachts  stop 
a  day  or  two. 

We  got  back  about  eight,  and  I  am  writing  now  before 
supper.  We  found  the  boat  all  dressed  w^ith  greens,  as  it 
is  the  St.  Jean,  and  they  tell  us  we  shall  see  lights,  bon- 
fires, and  torches  on  all  the  little  islands,  as  they  always 
celebrate  the  St.  Jean  here  with  greens  and  lights.  My 
next  letter  will  be  from  Stockholm. 


1883]  ARRIVAL  AT  STOCKHOLM  133 

To  H.  L.  K. 

Stockholm, 
Sunday,  June  24th,  1883. 

Well,  Dear,  we  arrived  at  12  o'clock  this  morning,  and 
I  was  quite  sorry  to  leave  the  boat  and  my  nice  big  cabin, 
and  the  good-natured  stewardess.  Last  night  was  en- 
chanting. We  sat  on  deck  until  12.30.  W.  treated  us 
all  to  Swedish  punch  and  cakes.  It  was  decidedly  cooler 
— for  the  first  time  I  had  on  the  warm,  long,  blue  cloth 
coat  I  started  in  from  Paris,  and  there  was  rather  more 
motion.  How  it  would  amuse  you — I  wish  you  were 
here.  The  deck  looks  quite  picturesque — lots  of  little 
round  tables  with  groups  of  three  or  four  people,  all 
drinking  something,  and  most  of  them  playing  cards. 
Between  11  and  12  there  is  a  sort  of  night,  or  darkness, 
so  they  brought  up  some  lamps,  which  looked  weird,  and 
gave  a  faint,  flickering  light.  We  run  sometimes  so 
close  to  the  islands,  between  several,  in  a  narrow  channel, 
that  one  would  think  it  was  impossible  to  pass,  but  evi- 
dently it  is  deep  sea  everywhere,  and  we  go  steadily  on 
without  slackening.  I  am  delighted  we  decided  to  come 
by  sea.  It  is  again  a  most  novel  experience,  and  such 
a  contrast  to  our  Moscow  stay — all  gold  and  glitter,  and 
colour  and  courtiers. 

We  were  just  getting  out  of  the  little  channels  and 
islands  and  making  for  the  open  sea  when  I  went  down- 
stairs. The  captain  came  and  sat  with  us  a  little  while, 
and  told  us  where  we  were.  Some  of  the  lights  on  the 
small  islands  looked  as  if  they  were  rising  straight  out 
of  the  sea.  The  water  was  grey,  and  the  rock  grey- 
one  only  saw  the  light. 

We  didn't  meet  many  ships — a  few  sailing  boats  as  we 


134    LETTERS   OF  A  DIPLOMAT'S   WIFE    [June 

left  Abo — but  no  steamers  or  big  ships.  We  were  up 
fairly  early,  as  they  told  us  the  entrance  to  Stockholm 
was  so  beautiful.  Coming  by  water  it  rises  straight  out 
of  the  sea  like  Venice.  There  were  quantities  of  islands, 
but  much  greener  than  those  of  the  Finnish  coast,  and 
the  clififs  higher.  Villas  everywhere,  close  down  to  the 
water's  edge,  and  running  up  the  hills.  Little  pleasure 
boats  and  yachts  skimming  all  over  the  harbour.  As  it 
was  fete  St.  Jean  all  the  peasants  and  country  people 
were  out  in  flat-bottomed  boats,  crowded  with  women 
and  children  down  to  the  water's  edge — the  boats  quite 
covered  with  green  boughs  and  leaves,  the  women  in 
costume — a  white  skirt,  coloured  bodice  embroidered  in 
gold  or  silver — silver  charms  and  big  pins  in  their  hair. 
It  really  was  fairy-like  for  quite  two  hours  before  we 
arrived. 

We  got  in  at  twelve  exactly,  and  breakfasted  on 
board.  The  river  is  so  deep  that  big  ships  run  straight 
up  into  the  town.  The  American  frigate,  Lancaster, 
which  arrived  last  night,  is  anchored  directly  in  front  of 
the  hotel,  under  our  windows. 

We  took  a  most  cordial  leave  of  our  Captain,  who 
expressed  great  gratification  at  having  had  us  on  board 
— hoped  we  were  satisfied  and  would  recommend  his 
boat  to  any  of  our  friends  who  wanted  to  make  the  same 
trip.  W .  and  Richard  were  astounded  at  the  cheapness 
of  the  journey.  I  think  they  made  out  it  was  about 
50  francs  apiece — tout  compris.  We  were  three  nights 
on  board,  and  had  all  our  meals  except  the  day  at 
Helsingfors. 

We  found  various  people  waiting  for  us  at  the  quai 
— one  of  the  secretaries  of  our  Legation — the  gerant  of 
the  Hotel  de  I'Europe — one  or  two  members  of  the 
French  colony  here,  and  M.  Mathias,  a  French  engineer 


1883]  THE  FRENCH  MINISTER  135 

who  lives  here.  We  went  across  to  the  hotel  in  a  ferry- 
boat and  found  charming  rooms,  with  windows  and  bal- 
conies on  the  river.  The  proprietor  informed  us  with 
much  pride  that  the  last  distinguished  foreigner  that  had 
occupied  the  apartment  was  Mdme.  Sarah  Bernhardt. 

We  found  quantities  of  letters,  unpacked  a  Httle — 
I  wasn't  sorry  to  get  out  of  my  blue  cloth  into  something 
lighter,  as  it  is  warm.  They  say  it  is  going  to  rain,  and  it 
has  been  dull  and  grey  all  the  morning.  M.  Patenotre, 
French  Minister,  has  sent  word  that  he  will  come  and  see 
us  about  2.30.  The  King  is  here,  and  will  receive  W. 
The  Queen  and  Princesses  are  away,  so  I  have  nothing 
to  do.  The  Royal  Palace  is  opposite— a  big  square 
building. 

7  o'clock. 

Patenotre  and  all  his  Legation  appeared.  They 
brought  us  some  picture  papers  with  the  Coronation, 
proclamation  (the  Heralds  dressed  in  cloth  of  gold,  and 
preceded  by  trumpeters)  and  ball.  They  say  the 
Graphic  is  the  best,  but  they  hadn't  it,  you  might  per- 
haps, June  loth.  We  went  for  a  drive  with  M.  Mathias, 
who  will  be  our  cicerone  here,  as  he  knows  Stockholm 
well.  We  went  to  the  Royal  Park,  which  is  handsome 
— fine  old  trees  and  allees,  and  to  the  Observatory,  from 
which  generally  there  is  a  beautiful  view  of  Stockholm 
and  its  surroundings — but  it  was  grey  and  misty,  rain- 
ing even  a  little,  so  we  didn't  see  much. 

We  are  to  dine  quietly  here  and  go  after  dinner  to  a 
camp  where  soldiers  and  peasants  play  games  and  dance 
and  sing,  in  honour  of  St.  Jean. 

The  river  is  still  covered  with  little  green  boats  dart- 
ing about  in  every  direction. 


136    LETTERS   OF  A  DIPLOMAT'S   WIFE   [June 


To  H.  L.  K. 

Hotel  d* Europe,  Stockholm, 
Monday,  June  25th,  1883. 

My  Dear,  this  is  the  most  enchanting  place.  The  sun 
is  out  this  morning,  and  the  river  and  green  hills  too 
lovely.  The  river  is  most  animated,  quantities  of  sail 
boats  and  ordinary  little  rowing  boats  flying  about  in  all 
directions,  and  plenty  of  life  on  the  quais.  Our  expedi- 
tion last  night  was  not  very  successful.  M.  Mathias 
came  to  dinner  early,  at  7  (almost  everyone  dines  at  6), 
and  we  went  off  to  the  camp.  It  was  a  pretty  drive  all 
along  the  river,  and  would  have  been  nice  if  it  had  been 
clear,  but  it  was  a  cold,  grey  evening,  and  began  to  rain 
a  little  before  we  got  home.  We  found  plenty  of  people 
looking  on — various  carriages  drawn  up,  and  it  is  evi- 
dently a  thing  to  do — on  a  fine  night  people  get  out 
and  walk  about  in  the  crowd,  but  as  it  was  misting  a 
little  and  decidedly  muddy,  we  merely  looked  on  from 
the  carriage.  One  of  the  military  bands  played  very  well, 
a  sort  of  quickstep,  and  the  people  danced  with  a  cer- 
tain entrain,  but  there  were  no  particular  steps,  nor 
national  dances,  nothing  very  different  from  what  one 
would  see  in  a  French  assemblee  when  the  people  dance 
on  the  pelouse  before  the  Mairie.  When  they  were  all 
dancing  round  a  may-pole  dressed  with  greens,  it  was 
pretty,  with  soldiers  and  the  Dalecarlian  women — there 
were  policemen,  but  not  many,  and  the  people  looked 
quite  peaceable  and  happy,  evidently  enjoying  them- 
selves immensely.  There  were  quite  a  number  of  chil- 
dren— little  tots  that  looked  as  if  they  could  just  walk, 
joining  in  the  ring.     Some  of  the  costumes  were  pretty. 


1883]  AN  AMERICAN  VIEW  137 

The  Dalecarlian  women  looked  well — they  wear  a  high 
black  cap  which  is  very  effective  on  their  fair  hair,  which 
is  plaited  in  heavy  braids,  and  goes  around  the  head 
like  a  turban ;  a  white  bodice,  bright  coloured  apron,  and 
gold  or  silver  charms  and  hair-pins.  The  language 
sounded  hard — no  more  the  soft  Russian  tongue — and, 
alas!  I  am  afraid  no  more  the  long,  beautiful  Russian 
twilight.  The  sky  is  grey  and  the  clouds  low.  They 
say  we  are  going  to  have  a  spell  of  rain. 

Mathias  says  the  language  is  not  at  all  difficult  to 
learn,  and  it  is  absolutely  necessary  to  know  it,  par- 
ticularly for  anyone  who  is  here  in  any  sort  of  business 
capacity. 

We  got  home  about  10  and  went  in  to  pay  a  visit  to 
the  Baldwins,  who  have  the  rooms  next  to  us.  They 
had  intended  going  too  to  the  camp,  but  the  rain 
frightened  them  off.  We  told  them  they  hadn't  missed 
much.  The  Admiral  is  charming — has  been  everywhere, 
seen  everything,  and  takes  such  a  practical  American  view 
of  everything.  He  was  not  at  all  impressed  with  all  the 
magnificence  of  Moscow — "All  show  (not  much  of  a 
one)  and  hollow.  What  is  there  underneath?"  How- 
ever, I  said  I  thought  the  show  was  pretty  good  as  far 
as  it  went,  and  certainly  no  other  country  in  the  world 
could  offer  such  a  sight;  to  which  he  replied,  smilingly, 
that  I  had  been  so  long  away  from  America  that  I  had 
forgotten  what  it  was  like.  I  stuck  to  my  guns,  and  said 
that  certainly  not  all  the  intelligence,  energy,  education, 
and  money  of  America  could  produce  such  a  pageant. 
What  was  so  wonderful  was  the  contrast.  All  the  mod- 
ern life  and  luxury  grafted  upon  that  old  half-Eastern, 
half-barbaric  world.  I  think  I  shall  never  again  see 
anything  like  the  dinner  of  the  Emperor  and  Empress 


138    LETTERS   OF  A  DIPLOMAT'S   WIFE    [Junb 

the  day  of  the  Coronation.  It  looked  exactly  like  some 
old  mediaeval  picture  as  they  sat  there  in  their  robes  and 
crowns  in  that  old  dark-vaulted  room  of  the  old  palace. 
We  had  quite  an  animated  discussion.  I  fancy  he  always 
takes  the  opposite  side  on  principle. 

This  morning  we  have  been  very  energetic.  Mathias 
came  at  10  o'clock,  and  we  started  off  sight-seeing.  We 
walked  across  to  the  Palace,  which  is  directly  opposite, 
and  were  there  about  an  hour.  There  is  not  much  to 
see,  the  rooms  are  large  and  high,  all  very  simply  fur- 
nished. Those  that  give  on  the  river  are  very  gay  with 
all  the  water  life  of  the  city  passing  under  the  windows. 
There  is  one  large  gallery  ''des  glaces"  rather  like  the 
famous  one  at  Versailles,  which  they  told  us  was  beauti- 
ful when  it  was  lighted.  There  are  quantities  of  por- 
traits everywhere,  and  these,  of  course,  are  interesting; 
also  some  fine  china,  large  vases.  We  saw,  of  course, 
Bernadotte's  room,  left  exactly  as  it  was  when  he  died 
there.  It  was  a  curious  mixture  of  French  and  Swedish, 
several  French  papers  and  brochures  lying  about  on  the 
tables  just  as  he  had  left  them,  quite  yellow  with  age  and 
the  print  fading,  also  note-books  and  "projets  de  loi"  an- 
notes  in  his  handwriting.  They  say  he  never  knew  a 
word  of  Swedish  and  yet  was  so  popular.  There  was  a 
fine  portrait  of  him  over  the  fireplace,  a  handsome  man, 
with  fine  soldierly  bearing. 

We  found  a  nice  open  carriage  waiting  for  us  at  the 
door  of  the  Palace  and  drove  ofif  to  Drottningholm,  one 
of  the  Royal  residences  on  Lake  Malar.  The  drive  was 
charming,  through  pretty  green  country,  and  as  soon 
as  we  came  near  the  Lake,  villas  (generally  white)  in 
every  direction.  We  crossed  various  little  arms  of  the 
lake  before  we  arrived  at  the  Chateau.     It  is  an  enor- 


1883]  A  ROYAL  RESIDENCE  139 

mous  pile,  and  stands  very  well  in  a  large  park.  The 
Governor,  a  fine  old  soldier  (who  rather  reminded  me  of 
Marshal  MacMahon),  was  waiting  for  us  with  his  son, 
and  showed  us  everything.  The  rooms  are  large  and 
bright  and  exceedingly  simple.  It  seems  the  Royal 
Family  are  very  fond  of  the  place.  There  is  so  much 
room  that  they  can  have  as  many  people  staying  as  they 
like,  and  they  all  live  on  the  water.  We  drove  through 
the  park,  and  saw  the  Governor's  villa,  not  far  from  the 
Palace.  As  we  had  been  going  since  10  o'clock  the  idea 
of  tea  was  not  disagreeable,  so  we  consulted  our  coach- 
man (at  least  Mathias  did,  as  we  couldn't  talk),  and  he 
told  us  there  was  a  good  little  cafe  in  the  park,  at  one 
end,  far  from  the  Chateau,  where  the  public  were  al- 
lowed, so  we  stopped  there  and  had  a  very  good  cup  of 
tea.  It  was  cool  and  green,  and  we  rather  liked  sitting 
there  with  the  lake  before  us  in  the  drowsy  quiet  of  a 
summer  afternoon.  However  we  had  to  get  back  to 
Stockholm,  as  W.  had  to  make  a  visit  to  the  Ministre 
des  AfTaires  Etrangeres.  He  sent  him  word  just  as  we 
were  starting  that  the  King  would  receive  him  to-mor- 
row at  one  o'clock.  He  must  also  see  if  he  can  borrow 
anywhere  a  Swedish  grand  cordon.  He  sent  all  his  deco- 
rations back  to  Paris  with  his  uniform,  quite  forgetting 
that  he  might  want  some  on  his  way  home,  and  they  tell 
him  he  must  have  his,  that  the  King  is  very  particular 
about  such  matters,  and  wouldn't  be  at  all  pleased  if  he 
presented  himSelf  without  his  order.  Patenotre's  is  no 
good,  as  it  isn't  the  same  order. 

We  left  W.  the  carriage  and  walked  home,  stopping 
and  looking  at  all  the  shop  windows.  I  don't  know  that 
there  is  much  to  buy,  but  we  are  going  on  a  real  shop- 
ping expedition  to-morrow  morning.     Mathias  showed 


140    LETTERS   OF  A  DIPLOMAT'S   WIFE    Qunk 

us  some  queer  old  streets  and  houses  and  a  famous  shop 
where  there  were  all  sorts  of  fishing  outfits.  He  is  very 
anxious  that  we  should  go  on  to  Norway,  see  Christiania 
and  some  of  the  famous  fiords.  He  says  the  country  is 
much  finer  than  any  part  of  Sweden,  and  there  is  much 
more  "couleur  locale."  It  is  just  the  season  for  it.  I 
should  like  it  extremely,  but  I  am  afraid  W.  won't.  He 
wants  to  get  home,  and  must  stay  three  or  four  days  at 
Copenhagen,  where  there  is  a  fine  collection  of  medals. 

Now  I  am  sitting  writing  at  the  window,  waiting  until 
it  is  time  to  dress  for  dinner  at  the  Legation.  The  river 
is  a  perpetual  enjoyment,  always  something  going  on. 
A  big  boat  has  just  put  off  from  the  American  man-of- 
war.  The  men  look  a  fine  sturdy  lot,  and  come  up  in 
great  style  with  a  good,  long  stroke.  They  attract  much 
attention,  for  as  soon  as  the  boat  left  the  ship  a  Httle 
crowd  gathered  and  watched  their  progress. 

Here  is  W.,  who  enjoyed  his  visit  to  the  minister  very 
much — found  him  easy  and  intelligent,  and  much  inter- 
ested in  the  Coronation.  They  will  send  him  a  plaque 
and  a  ribbon  from  the  jewellers,  so  he  will  be  quite  cor- 
rect to-morrow.  Adelaide  is  much  disturbed  because  I 
have  neither  fine  dress  nor  jewels  for  the  dinner  to- 
night. It  really  is  not  of  the  slightest  consequence,  as 
I  am  the  only  lady  (Patenotre  is  a  bachelor),  and  we  are 
going  to  the  gardens  afterwards.  I  shall  wear  Delan- 
noy's  blue  and  white  striped  silk,  half  long,  and  take  my 
hat  in  my  hand,  as  it  must  go  on  for  our  outing. 

12  o'clock. 

We  have  just  come  in  from  our  dinner,  which  was 
pleasant  and  very  good,  merely  the  three,  Mathias, 
Patenotre,  and  one  of  his  secretaries,  M.  de  Bondy.  The 
house  is  large,  nice,  and  looks  very  pretty,  as  the  Minister 


i883]  SWEDISH  CUSTOMS  141 

has  been  both  in  China  and  Persia  and  has  brought  back 
some  beautiful  things,  carpets,  tentures,  and  curios  of  all 
kinds.  He  evidently  didn't  find  Pekin  a  very  pleasant 
or  healthy  residence,  says  the  cold  is  something  awful. 
He  likes  Stockholm,  says  the  Swedes  are  pleasant,  kindly 
people,  lead  simple  lives,  and  do  all  they  can  to  make  it 
pleasant  for  the  Corps  Diplomatique.  There  are  few 
large  fortunes — very  little  life,  and  little  private  enter- 
taining. The  Court  gives  several  balls  and  dinners  every 
year. 

About  8.30  we  went  off  to  the  gardens  and  restaurant 
Haselbach,  where  all  the  beau  monde  of  Stockholm  as- 
sembles in  summer,  but  the  season  is  over  and  there 
were  not  many  people  there — of  Society;  people  there 
were,  plenty.  The  gardens  are  large,  well  lighted,  a  very 
good  band  was  playing,  and  everyone  walking  up  and 
down  the  broad  allees,  or  seated  at  little  tables  with  tea 
and  punch.  We  sat  there  about  an  hour.  Patenotre 
pointed  out  various  notabilities  to  us,  but  said  he  didn't 
know  many  people. 

Now  we  are  discussing  routes  with  maps  and  books. 
We  shall  start  for  Copenhagen  to-morrow  night  via 
Malmo,  and  must  send  in  the  morning  to  engage  our 
sleepings.  It  is  a  long  journey.  We  leave  here  at  8.30, 
and  don't  get  to  Copenhagen  until  4.30  the  next  day. 

Tuesday,  June  26th. 

It  is  lovely  again  this  morning.  Richard  and  I  and 
Mathias  have  been  wandering  about  the  streets  shop- 
ping. There  isn't  much  to  buy — Norwegian  knives  with 
carved  wooden  handles  in  a  leather  case,  Scandinavian 
charms,  buckles,  and  brooches  roughly  worked,  but 
rather  pretty  and  curious  shapes — furs,  too,  of  course,  but 
we  didn't  want  any  more.     I  was  rather  tempted  by  a 


142    LETTERS   OF  A  DIPLOMAT'S   WIFE   [June 

large  white  stuffed  bear.  I  thought  it  would  look  so  well 
in  the  hall  in  the  country ;  but  of  course  the  only  reason  to 
have  a  bear  in  the  house  is  when  you  shot  it  yourself,  and 
that  was  not  possible  in  the  streets  of  Stockholm  in  the 
month  of  June.  The  day  is  divine — sky  blue  and  water 
dancing.  The  whole  aspect  of  the  place  is  much  gayer 
than  anything  we  saw  in  Russia.  People  don't  look  sad 
or  preoccupied;  there  are  always  babauds  hanging  over 
the  bridges  and  exchanging  jokes  or  remarks  with  the 
watermen. 

Richard  and  I  breakfasted  tete-a-tete,  as  W.  had  gone 
off  for  his  Royal  audience.  His  plaque  and  grand  cor- 
don came  in  time  from  the  jeweller,  so  he  was  quite 
proper.  I  shall  go  and  see  about  the  trunks,  and  as  soon 
as  W.  comes  back  we  shall  start  again  for  some  last  sight- 
seeing, the  Museum,  churches,  etc.  We  dine  at  6  and 
start  at  8  from  the  hotel.  Richard  has  decided  to  wait 
a  day  longer  and  go  and  see  the  Falls  of  Upsala,  which 
are  quite  worth  seeing.  Mathias  will  go  with  him,  and 
he  will  join  us  at  Copenhagen  Thursday.  The  Baldwins 
have  just  come  in  to  say  good-bye.  They,  too,  are  leav- 
ing to-morrow. 

I  will  finish,  as  I  have  a  quiet  hour  before  dinner.  I 
left  the  gentlemen  at  the  Museum,  as  I  was  not  very  well, 
and  thought  better  to  rest  a  little  before  starting  this 
evening.  W.  came  in  a  little  after  two,  having  enjoyed 
the  hour  with  the  King  very  much.  He  says  he  is  a 
tall,  handsome  man,  very  intelligent,  and  well  up  in 
everything.  He  received  him  quite  informally  in  his 
cabinet  de  travail,  which  he  said  had  also  been  Ber- 
nadotte's.  There  was  a  good  picture  of  him  on  the  walls. 
He  was  much  interested  in  the  Coronation,  though  he 
had  heard  all  about  it  already  from  his  son,  but  he  was 
anxious  to  have  W.*s  impressions.     He  said  he  personally 


M.    William  Waddington. 
From  a  copyright  photograph  by  Russell 


r883]  SWEDISH    EMIGRATION  143 

had  never  been  very  anxious  about  a  Nihilist  plot  at  that 
time.  He  didn't  think  they  would  choose  that  opportu- 
nity. He  was  much  interested  in  everything  French, 
literature,  politics,  theatres,  and  asked  W.  if  he  was 
going  back  to  Petersburg  as  Ambassador.  He  also 
asked  him  if  he  had  ever  been  in  America,  as  he  believed 
he  had  married  an  American,  and  was  much  surprised  to 
hear  he  had  never  crossed  the  big  pond.  He  told  him 
too  just  what  some  of  the  Swedish  diplomats  told  me, 
that  all  his  best  young  men  went  to  America.  They  got 
such  high  wages,  and  got  on  so  well,  that  they  were  all 
leaving  Sweden.  I  remember  Sandford  telling  us  years 
ago  in  Paris,  that  all  the  workmen  on  his  orange  planta- 
tions in  Florida  were  Swedes. 

W.  had  just  time  to  get  out  of  his  dress  clothes,  and 
send  back  his  order  when  Mathias  appeared,  and  we  went 
for  a  last  tournee.  First  to  the  Church  des  Chevaliers, 
where  all  the  Swedish  Kings  are  buried,  up  and  down 
some  old  streets  where  there  are  curious  old  houses,  and 
wound  up  at  the  Museum.  I  only  stayed  there  half  an 
hour,  saw  some  of  the  pictures  and  souvenirs  of  Charles 
IX,  and  then  came  home,  leaving  the  others. 

Now  we  have  finished  packing,  I  have  on  my  trav- 
elling dress,  and  am  seated  quietly  at  the  window  with 
my  book,  Tolstoy's  "La  Guerre  et  la  Paix,"  but  I  don't 
make  much  progress — I  am  always  looking  out.  A 
big  steam  yacht  has  just  come  in — ran  straight  up  the 
river  alongside  of  the  "Lancaster."  About  twenty  little 
boats  have  immediately  started  out,  going  close  up  to  the 
yacht,  and  they  have  sent  off  a  steam  launch,  which  has 
come  up  to  the  wharf  in  about  five  minutes. 

Patenotre  and  his  secretary  have  come  to  say  good- 
bye, and  to  say  that  all  the  orders  are  given  for  this 
evening,  and  we  shall  have  our  sleepings.     I  wonder 


144    LETTERS   OF  A  DIPLOMAT'S   WIFE   [June 

if  you  have  seen  Pontecoulant.  He  said  he  would  go 
at  once  to  find  you.  He  has  been  saving  up  all  he  heard 
about  the  Americans  and  their  frock  coats  and  grey 
trousers  (when  everyone  else  was  covered  with  gold  em- 
broidery and  orders)  for  you,  and  hopes  to  get  a  good  rise 
out  of  you. 

My  next  letter  will  be  from  Copenhagen — then  Ham- 
burg and  home.  The  gentlemen  have  come  in — found 
the  Museum  very  interesting,  and  we  shall  dine  in  a  few 
minutes,  so  this  must  stop  and  will  go  off  from  here  by 
the  evening  courier. 

To  H.  L,  K, 

Copenhagen, 
Wednesday,  June  27th,  1883. 

We  arrived  at  one  o'clock  to-day.  Dear,  not  tired  at 
all,  as  our  journey  was  easy.  We  had  a  capital  waggon, 
a  large  sleeping  carriage,  a  bed  on  each  side,  and  a  good 
toilette.  We  started  punctually  at  8.30,  through  fairly 
pretty  country,  nothing  very  picturesque,  but  a  general 
impression  of  verdure.  At  10.30  we  stopped  some- 
where, had  tea,  and  the  man  came  and  made  the  beds.  I 
slept  quite  well.  We  took  the  steamer  at  Malmo,  break- 
fasted on  board,  and  enjoyed  the  crossing.  The  sea  was 
beautiful  and  there  were  quantities  of  boats  of  all  kinds. 
There  was  a  thick  fog  for  about  half  an  hour,  which  was 
very  uncomfortable,  for  we  knew  how  many  boats  there 
were  all  around  us,  and  as  soon  as  our  own  whistle 
stopped,  we  heard  many  others  unpleasantly  near.  How- 
ever it  lifted  as  we  neared  Copenhagen. 

The  approach  is  good,  but  not  nearly  so  fine  as  Stock- 
holm. There  are  no  islands  and  the  country  all  about  is 
very  flat.     The  quantity  of  boats  of  all  kinds  made  it  a 


1883]  IN  COPENHAGEN  145 

very  pretty  sight.     We  found  M.  de  Kergorlay,  Charge 
d'Affaires,  waiting  for  us  on  the  quai  with  a  carriage,  and 
drove  at  once  to  the  hotel.     We  wanted  a  Httle  time  to 
change,  read  our  letters  (we  found  a  quantity,  two  from 
you),  which  you  may  imagine  I  was  glad  to  have.     I 
am  so  glad  the  boy  has  kept  well — I  am  getting  very 
homesick  for  him  now  that  our  faces  are  turned  home- 
wards.    M.  de  Kergorlay  said  he  would  come  back  at 
4  and  take  us  a  drive.     W.  too  found  various  letters  and 
papers.     We  started  again  at  4  and  had  a  beautiful  drive 
to  the  ''Deer  Park"  for  some  distance  along  the  sea,  with 
quantities  of  villas,  casinos,  cafes  with  music  all  the  way. 
There  were  some  very  pretty  carriages,  officers  riding, 
and  every  description  of  pleasure  boat,  big  and  small,  on 
the  sea.     Just  as  we  were  leaving  the  sea  and  turning 
into  the  forest  we  met  a  big  break,  with  the  Prince  Royal 
driving  himself  and  his  family.    The  carriage  was  full  of 
children.     He  recognized  of  course  Kergorlay,  then  W. 
— however  they  are  all  in  the  country.     We  shall  have 
no  visits  nor  audiences  of  any  kind.     I  am  rather  sorry 
not  to  see  the  Prince.     He  was  in  Paris  and  dined  with 
lis  the  Exhibition  year,  when  W.  was  at  the  Quai  d'Or- 
say,  and  I  found  him  most  sympathetic,  and  very  good- 
looking. 

It  was  so  pretty  driving  through  the  deer  park.  We 
had  tea  in  one  of  the  casinos,  standing  high  over  the  sea, 
with  a  splendid  view.  We  dined  quietly  at  the  hotel  at 
a  small  table  in  the  dining-room.  We  saw  there  General 
Appert  and  his  family  dining.  They  had  come  to  Co- 
penhagen to  see  their  son,  who  is  military  attache  here 
(Madame  Appert  is  a  Dane),  also  Harry  Whitehouse, 
who  said  they  were  in  the  country,  but  not  far,  and  would 
certainly  come  in  and  see  us.  I  have  written  a  few  notes 
since  dinner,  and  W.  has  also  sent  one  to  be  given  early 


146    LETTERS   OF  A   DIPLOMAT'S   WIFE    Qunk 

to-morrow  morning  to  the  Conservateur  des  Medailles 
at  the  Museum.  The  hotel  is  very  comfortable,  we  have 
an  enormous  salon  on  the  front,  and  good  bedrooms. 
Adelaide  has  fraternised  with  the  Apperts'  maid,  and  is 
delighted  to  have  a  compatriote  to  go  about  with.  I 
was  interrupted,  as  W.  suggested  we  should  go  out  and 
make  a  little  turn  in  the  streets  while  he  smoked  a  cigar. 
The  town  is  much  less  gay  than  Stockholm.  All  the 
houses  are  built  of  grey  stone,  and  are  high  and  narrow, 
rather  like  New  York.  There  are  a  good  many  people 
in  the  streets  and  in  the  trams,  of  which  there  seem 
plenty. 

Thursday,  June  28th. 

It  is  again  a  beautiful  day,  and  at  10  o'clock  W.  and 
I  started.  I  took  Adelaide,  for  I  knew  W.  would  be 
absorbed  at  once  by  the  medals,  and  I  didn't  care  to 
come  home  alone.  We  were  received  with  much  em- 
pressement  by  the  Director.  As  I  supposed,  the  Con- 
servateur des  Medailles  carried  off  W.  at  once,  and  a 
sub.  of  some  kind  was  deputed  to  show  me  the  Histori- 
cal Museum,  which  really  is  very  interesting,  costumes 
and  interior  groups  of  figures  of  the  whole  world.  They 
say  it  is  very  exact,  but  what  a  work  it  must  have  been. 
We  saw  it  very  well  and  fairly  quickly,  as  it  wasn't  a 
public  day,  and  the  young  man  only  showed  us  what 
was  worth  seeing.  We  walked  home.  It  wasn't  far, 
and  he  explained  the  route  to  us.  I  really  needed  the 
exercise.  The  town  is  decidedly  gloomy,  even  in  the 
bright  sunlight,  and  might  be  any  Northern  town  any- 
where. 

I  breakfasted  alone  at  a  small  table  in  the  dining-room, 
and  had  the  big  room  almost  to  myself — two  gentlemen 
were  breakfasting  at  one  end.     Almost  as  soon  as  I  got 


1883]  AN  AFTERNOON  DRIVE  147 

upstairs  I  had  some  visits.  First  Richard  appeared,  very 
pleased  with  his  excursion,  said  it  would  have  been  a 
pity  not  to  see  the  Falls,  being  so  near;  then  came  Col. 
Wyckham  Hoffman  and  Whitehouse.  Hoffman  was 
much  interested  in  hearing  about  the  Coronation,  as  he 
was  five  years  secretary  in  Russia  and  knew  all  the 
people.  He  and  Mrs.  Hoffman  are  at  Elsinore  for  the 
summer  and  want  us  very  much  to  come  down  and  dine 
and  stay  over  night,  but  I  am  afraid  we  can't.  W.  wants 
all  his  time  here  for  the  coins,  and  it  would  take  quite  a 
day  to  really  see  the  place.  Kergorlay  came  with  a  car- 
riage at  three,  and  he  and  I  and  Richard  started  again  for 
the  same  drive.  It  seems  all  Copenhagen  does  it  every 
afternoon.  The  sea  looked  enchanting,  and  I  think 
there  were  more  boats  than  yesterday — several  big 
steamers,  English  bound  they  tell  us — and  such  quanti- 
ties of  pleasure  boats.  We  drove  rather  further  into 
the  forest,  as  we  had  more  time.  It  is  really  very  lovely 
— had  tea  in  another  casino  with  the  same  view  of 
the  sea.  We  met  various  private  carriages  with  good 
horses,  a  certain  number  were  breaks  full  of  nurses  and 
children;  and  some  rather  smart-looking  officers  well 
mounted.  We  didn't  meet  the  Royal  break  again.  It 
seems  they  are  all  (a  big  family  party)  at  one  of  their 
chateaux  near  Copenhagen,  and  come  into  town  very 
often.  Kergorlay  seems  to  like  Copenhagen — not  the 
climate,  he  says  it  is  cold  and  foggy,  there  are  days  when 
one  never  sees  the  sun.  It  makes  rather  a  gloomy  im- 
pression on  me.  If  I  lived  here  I  too  would  want  to 
come  every  day  to  the  Deer  Park,  which  wouldn't  be 
convenient  perhaps  for  domestic  arrangements. 

The  streets  are  curiously  banal — I  wonder  why?  Of 
course  one  didn't  expect  to  find  the  colour  and  half' 
Eastern  look  of  Moscow,  nor  the  gay  half  "bains-de- 


148    LETTERS   OF  A  DIPLOMAT'S   WIFE    [June 

mer"  impression  of  Stockholm,  but  I  am  disappointed. 
One  thinks  of  Danes  as  descendants  of  the  Vikings, 
heroes,  enormous  men  with  long  limbs  and  yellow  hair. 
Do  you  remember  the  poem  we  were  so  mad  about  in 
the  days  of  our  youth,  "Word  was  brought  to  the  Danish 
King  that  the  love  of  his  heart  lay  dying"?  I  can  see 
Mrs.  Lawrence  sitting  at  the  table,  and  reading  it  in  her 
full  rich  voice.  I  don't  remember  now  w^ho  wrote  it„ 
but  I  am  sure  you  will — and  Copenhagen  looks  singu- 
larly unpoetical  and  modern.  We  found  W.  on  the  bal- 
cony when  we  got  back,  with  his  papers  and  his  cigar,  just 
tired  enough  after  a  long  day's  work  in  the  Museum  to 
appreciate  a  quiet  hour.  It  has  been  warm  all  day,  and  is 
still.  We  felt  the  difference  as  soon  as  we  turned  into 
the  streets,  and  we  haven't  the  river  under  our  windows 
as  we  had  at  Stockholm,  and  always  a  breeze. 

4  o'clock. 
Richard  and  I  are  just  back  from  an  expedition  to 
Tivoli — the  great  garden  here.  We  dined  quietly  at 
home,  and  I  tried  to  persuade  W.  to  come  with  us  to  the 
garden,  but  he  declined  absolutely,  so  we  left  him  talking 
and  smoking  with  General  Appert,  and  we  two  started 
off  in  a  fiacre.  We  were  rather  pleased  with  ourselves 
and  the  way  we  got  along  in  a  strange  place  and  a  strange 
tongue.  We  even  made  out  strawberries  and  cream — 
"med"  and  something  else  I  forget  now.  I  don't  know 
which  was  strawberries  and  which  was  cream,  but  we  got 
them,  and  med  was  evidently  one  or  the  other.  The 
garden  is  very  pretty,  very  well  arranged,  with  every 
variety  of  entertainment.  We  sat  and  listened  to  the 
band  (a  very  good  one,  military)  while  we  had  med  and 

,    and   then   went   into   one  or   two   of   the  small 

theatres  and  concert  halls.     All  this  too  was  modern, 


1883]        THE  THORWALDSEN  GALLERY        149 

might  have  been  Paris  or  London.  We  saw  one  or  two 
of  our  diplomatic  friends  disporting  themselves  at  one 
of  the  theatres  where  there  were  ''poses  plastiques"  very 
well  done.  I  think  they  were  "en  gargon" — the  pink 
flower  hats  they  were  alongside  of  didn't  give  me  a 
family  impression. 

We  rather  enjoyed  our  evening  lounging  about.  A 
fortune  teller,  a  rather  pretty  girl,  evidently  wished  to 
tell  our  fortunes,  that  we  made  out  by  signs  and  the  cards 
she  had  spread  out  before  her,  but  we  didn't  think  our 
knowledge  of  the  Danish  tongue  was  sufficient  to  under- 
stand all  she  would  tell  us  of  a  brilliant  future.  Rich- 
ard is  delightful  to  go  about  with.  He  likes  to  see  every- 
thing and  know  about  everything,  and  certainly  succeeds 
in  some  curious  way  getting  all  the  information  he  wants. 
W.  was  poring  over  his  notes  when  we  got  back.  We 
told  him  all  our  experiences,  and  then  talked  a  little 
about  our  day  to-morrow. 

Friday,  June  29th. 
It  has  been  frightfully  hot  all  day.  I  stayed  at  home 
all  the  morning.  W.  and  Richard  went  off  early  to  the 
Museum.  I  had  a  visit  from  Kergorlay.  He  has  an  in- 
teresting face,  is  a  widower,  poor  fellow,  with  four  chil- 
dren, one  boy  of  two  and  a  half.  They  say  he  is  so 
devoted  to  the  children.  I  told  him  I  should  like  to  see 
them,  and  he  will  send  them — at  any  rate  we  shall  see 
them  to-morrow  night,  as  we  dine  at  the  Legation.  Rich- 
ard came  back  to  breakfast.  He  said  it  w^as  cool  enough 
in  the  Museum,  and  we  started  off  for  the  Thorwaldsen 
Gallery.  Of  course  some  of  the  statues  and  bas  reliefs  are 
very  fine,  but  they  are  enormous,  almost  more  than  life 
size.  We  went  on  to  the  Frauen  Kirche  to  see  his  statues 
of  the  12  Apostles  which  are  there.    They  were  strangely 


ISO    LETTERS   OF  A  DIPLOMAT'S   WIFE   [June 

familiar.  We  must  have  seen  them  reproduced  in  plaster 
at  home.  Both  St.  Peter  and  St.  John  I  knew  quite  well, 
and  didn't  like  them  much.  While  we  were  loitering 
about  the  church  the  suisse  told  us  a  wedding  was  just 
going  to  take  place,  it  might  perhaps  amuse  us  to  see  it, 
so  we  stepped  into  one  of  the  side  aisles  and  saw  the 
cortege.  The  bride  was  the  regulation  white-veiled  fig- 
ure, I  think  she  had  a  green  wreath  (it  may  have  been 
myrtle  like  the  German  brides),  the  man  was  in  uniform. 
What  was  really  interesting  was  the  dress  of  the  two 
pastors.  They  wore  black  coats  with  white  ruffles,  just 
as  they  did  in  Luther's  time.  That  reconciled  me  a  little 
to  this  very  uninteresting  town. 

It  was  still  very  warm,  but  we  did  a  little  shopping, 
photographs  and  one  or  two  trifles.  Richard  leaves  to- 
night at  7.30,  and  we  shall  dine  early  with  him.  He 
is  to  stop  a  day  or  two  with  Mary  at  Meiningen,  pick 
up  his  mother  who  is  there,  and  bring  her  back  to 
France.  Mary  wanted  us  to  come,  and  I  wish  we  could 
have  managed  it.  It  would  have  been  nice  to  have  been 
there  all  together,  and  they  would  have  enjoyed  hear- 
ing all  our  impressions  while  they  were  so  absolutely 
fresh,  particularly  Charles,  who  leads  a  very  quiet  life  now 
ever  since  his  accident  at  the  Quai  d'Orsay.  It  is  extra- 
ordinary how  the  last  thing  seen  remains  in  one's  mem- 
ory. Already  Moscow  and  that  splendid  pageant  is  fad- 
ing a  little,  and  I  see  Stockholm,  and  the  green  islands, 
and  the  dancing  river. 

Saturday,  June  30th. 

It  is  still  frightfully  hot — not  a  breath  of  air.     I  have 

made  as  much  of  a  draught  as  I  can  by  opening  the  door 

into  the  passage.     It  isn't  very  convenient,  as  we  are  just 

at  the  head  of  the  big  staircase,  but  I  have  put  a  high- 


1883]  A  CLIFF  WALK  151 

backed  arm-chair  between  me  and  the  passers  by.  It  was 
really  very  warm  until  1 1  o'clock  last  night.  We  dined 
downstairs  with  Richard,  and  were  very  sorry  to  see 
him  go.  Then  we  went  to  Mrs.  Baldwin  (the  Admiral 
had  gone  off  for  two  days)  to  ask  her  if  she  would  drive 
with  us.  We  made  the  usual  turn,  the  only  variety  being 
our  tea  place — we  take  a  new  one  every  time.  The 
gerant  of  the  hotel  explains  to  the  coachman  where  to 
go,  and  he  chooses  very  well.  It  was  lovely  driving,  and 
so  cool  on  the  top  of  the  cliff  that  we  walked  about  a 
little  after  tea.  There  is  always  a  long,  clear  evening, 
not  like  Russia,  but  still  very  pleasant  and  pretty,  such  a 
soft  light  over  everything.  The  moment  we  turned  away 
from  the  sea  back  into  the  town  we  felt  the  difference, 
but  the  long  drive  had  cooled  us.  I  have  asked  for  my 
breakfast  upstairs  in  the  salon.  I  really  can't  dress  and 
sit  in  that  hot  room  in  this  weather.  W.  is  at  the 
Museum,  but  comes  back  at  4  with  the  Director,  who 
is  to  show  us  some  of  the  treasures  of  the  town,  I 
am  getting  on  very  well  here  with  "La  Guerre  et  la 
Paix,"  as  I  am  not  distracted  all  the  time  as  I  was  at 
Stockholm.  I  think  you  would  like  it,  the  Russian  side 
of  Napoleon's  great  campaign  is  so  interesting,  also  the 
pictures  of  the  society  of  Moscow  at  that  time,  which 
they  say  is  extremely  well  done. 

W.  came  in  about  4,  not  very  warm,  as  he  says  the 
rooms  of  the  Museum  are  cool,  with  such  thick  walls,  and 
while  we  were  waiting  for  Monsieur  Warsoe,  the  Direc- 
teur,  Mr.  Vivian,  English  Minister,  paid  us  a  visit.  He 
is  very  anxious  we  should  come  and  see  them  at  Elsinore, 
says  it  is  most  interesting  (all  memories  of  Hamlet).  I 
should  like  it  extremely,  but  W.  thinks  we  must  get 
home.  I  liked  Vivian  very  much.  He  talked  very  easily 
about  everything — he  is  going  to  dine  with  us  at  Ker- 


152    LETTERS   OF  A   DIPLOMAT'S   WIFE    [June 

gorlay's,  says  all  the  colleagues  are  most  anxious  to  hear 
about  the  Coronation.  M.  Warsoe  appeared  about  4.30 
and  we  drove  at  once  to  Rosenburg,  an  old  chateau 
where  there  is  a  fine  collection  of  all  sorts  of  things. 
Some  of  the  Danish  porcelain  was  lovely,  also  some  fine 
tapestries.  They  showed  us  with  much  pride  their 
tresor,  jewels,  and  gold  and  silver  services,  but  really 
after  Moscow  and  the  quantities  of  gold,  silver,  enamel, 
crowns,  and  jewels  of  all  sorts  that  one  had  seen  the 
others  made  no  effect,  though  of  course  there  were  some 
handsome  stones,  rubies.  What  I  did  like  was  the  4  lions 
(couchant)  of  massive  silver,  which  are  always  put  at  each 
side  of  the  throne  whenever  there  is  a  great  ceremony 
at  Court.     They  must  look  splendid. 

We  went  again  to  the  Frauen  Kirche,  as  W.  had  not 
seen  it,  and  the  second  time  I  Hked  the  Apostles  better, 
a  little  better.  I  think  it  was  too  hot,  and  I  was  too 
tired  when  I  was  there  before.  We  drove  out  to  an  old 
bridge,  which  was  curious,  and  in  some  old  street  where 
I  had  never  penetrated.  The  trams  worry  me,  they  are 
so  frightfully  civilized  and  up-to-date,  however  they  were 
crowded,  so  evidently  the  Danes  are  not  of  my  way  of 
thinking. 

Our  dinner  at  Kergorlay's  was  very  pleasant  and 
handsome.  Adelaide  was  again  frightfully  put  out  at  my 
garment,  and  she  is  right,  it  is  really  a  street  dress,  and 
this  time  there  are  several  women.  I  don't  know  why 
I  didn't  keep  out  one  evening  dress.  It  was  rather 
stupid  to  send  everything  back.  However,  I  made  my 
excuses  to  the  ladies,  and  said  I  was  ''en  touriste."  They 
were  all  very  elegantes,  though  they  were  all  already 
settled  in  the  country,  and  went  off  about  10  o'clock  by 
the  last  train.  Kergorlay's  children  came  in  before  din- 
ner.    The  eldest  girl  is  10,  and  the  baby  two  and  a  half. 


isss]  DINING  "EN  TOURISTE"  153 

It  was  so  pathetic  to  see  them  in  their  white  dresses  and 
black  sashes  and  to  think  whom  the  mourning  w^as  for. 
The  dinner  was  very  gay.  We  had  Count  and  Countess 
Toll  (he  is  Russian  Minister  here,  and  a  brother  of  Count- 
ess Pahlen),  Marochetti  (Italian  Minister)  and  his  wife  (a 
Frenchwoman,  nee  Grandval),  Vivian  (she  didn't  come, 
was  in  the  country  and  rather  exhausted  with  the  great 
heat),  General  and  Madame  Appert,  and  two  secretaries. 
Count  Toll  was  very  keen  to  hear  all  about  Moscow,  and 
what  we  thought  of  the  great  show  (he  speaks  English 
quite  well).  I  told  him  we  were  enchanted,  and  that  one 
of  the  great  features  was  Comte  Pahlen  with  his  velvet 
coat  and  white  staff  of  office  with  a  big  sapphire  at  the 
top.  He  certainly  took  no  end  of  trouble,  and  looked 
his  part  very  well.  They  all  seem  to  like  Copenhagen 
pretty  wxll,  except  for  the  climate,  which  seems  most  try- 
ing. Countess  Toll  was  in  white  with  handsome  pearls. 
I  felt  rather  like  a  pensionnaire  in  my  simple  little  dress 
— foolish,  too ;  I  ought  to  have  known  better. 

We  got  home  quite  early,  so  I  can  still  have  a  little 
Tolstoy  before  I  go  to  bed.  Adelaide  instantly  inquired 
what  the  other  ladies  had  on  and  was  much  put  out. 
"C'etait  Madame  TAmbassadrice  qui  etait  le  plus  mal" 
— "oh !  cela  oui,  et  de  beaucoup."  I  suppose  it  reflects 
upon  the  femme  de  chambre  when  the  mistress  is  not  up 
to  the  mark. 

Sunday,  July  ist. 
It  is  still  frightfully  hot.  I  did  not  go  out  all  morning, 
though  they  sent  a  notice  of  services  at  the  English 
Church,  We  shall  leave  to-morrow  night  for  Ham- 
burg. W.  says  two  days  more  of  medals  will  give  him 
all  he  wants.  After  breakfast  I  went  to  see  Mrs.  Bald- 
win, whom  I  found  gasping,  sitting  with  open  doors  and 


154    LETTERS   OF  A  DIPLOMAT'S   WIFE    Quly 

windows;  also  Madame  Appert,  who  looked  quite  cool 
and  comfortable,  as  did  her  two  daughters,  pretty  girls; 
however,  they  said  they  didn't  feel  cool.  When  I  got 
back  to  our  rooms  I  found  several  cards,  and  then  Mrs. 
Hoffman  appeared.  She  was  very  nice  and  friendly,  sent 
all  sorts  of  messages  to  you  and  Anne,  and  wished  Anne 
would  come  and  stay  with  her  at  Elsinore.  She  likes 
Copenhagen  very  much,  says  the  people  are  friendly  and 
hospitable  and  invite  the  diplomats;  also  that  some  of 
the  country  places  are  very  fine,  quite  in  the  English 
style.  She  made  a  great  appeal  to  me  to  come  to  El- 
sinore with  her  this  afternoon,  I  could  come  back  to- 
morrow in  plenty  of  time  for  the  night  train,  but  I 
couldn't  manage.  W.  was  still  at  the  Museum,  and 
would  have  been  in  a  great  state  of  mind  if  he  had  come 
home  and  found  not  me  but  a  note  saying  I  had  departed 
for  Elsinore.  While  she  was  still  here,  young  Moltke 
appeared,  our  compagnon  de  voyage  from  Helsingfors 
to  Stockholm.  He  hopes  to  be  sent  to  Paris  or  London. 
I  told  him  if  it  was  Paris  he  must  look  us  up.  He  is  a 
very  nice  young  fellow,  very  good-looking,  tall,  and  fair. 
We  have  had  our  usual  drive.  We  dined  at  5  and 
started  out  rather  earlier.  If  possible  there  were  more 
people  than  we  had  ever  seen  before,  as  it  was  Sunday  and 
fete.  All  Copenhagen,  high  and  low,  were  on  their  way 
to  the  Deer  Park.  A  stream  of  conveyances  of  all  de- 
scriptions, some  peasants'  carts  with  straw  at  the  bottom 
filled  with  women  and  children,  everybody  in  a  good 
humour.  There  were  fewer  officers  riding,  and  fewer  big 
boats  on  the  sea,  but  endless  little  pleasure  yachts.  As 
we  came  back  it  was  really  a  pretty  sight,  all  the  cafes, 
casinos,  etc.,  brilliantly  lighted,  all  the  villas,  too,  and 
people  sitting  on  the  verandas,  some  playing  cards, 
some  at  tea  tables,  some  walking  about  in  the  gardens, 


1883]  OUT-DOOR  LIFE  IN  SUMMER  155 

we  could  see  the  light  dresses  fluttering  about  in  the 
shrubberies;  animation,  laughter,  voices,  music  every- 
where. We  stopped  as  usual  for  tea  at  one  of  the  high 
casinos— the  sea  blue  and  calm  at  our  feet  some  distance 
down,  and  the  whole  summer  out-door  Hfe  of  Copen- 
hagen behind  in  the  woods  and  hills.  It  was  delicious 
driving  back,  and  even  the  streets  were  pretty  to-night, 
so  many  people,  and  the  cool  air  such  a  relief  after  the 
terrible  heat  of  the  day.  We  have  decided  to  start  at 
8.30  to-morrow  evening. 

I  tried  to  glean  some  information  from  a  Danish  paper 
this  afternoon.  Col.  Hoffman  told  me  that  if  one  knew 
English  or  German  one  could  read  Danish  quite  well,  giv- 
ing oneself  a  little  trouble,  but  I  can't  say  that  was  my 
experience.  It  might  have  been  Hebrew  for  all  I  made 
out.  I  suppose  I  didn't  keep  at  it  long  enough.  It 
doesn't  sound  easy  when  one  hears  the  language  spoken 
all  about  one,  rather  harsh.  I  mastered  a  little  Swedish 
(to  understand  it)  much  more  easily. 

To  H.  L.  K, 

Copenhagen, 
Monday,  July  2d,  1883. 

The  heat  is  something  awful  to-day,— I  think  the 
worst  day  we  have  had.  I  was  up  early,  as  the  salon  is 
cooler  than  the  bedroom,  more  doors  and  windows.  W. 
is  off  to  his  medals  until  5,  and  we  leave  to-night  for 
Hamburg.  The  trunks  are  made  (almost  for  the  last 
time),  as  we  shall  stay  only  one  night  in  Hamburg,  and 
arrive  in  Paris  Thursday  morning.  I  had  a  nice  visit 
from  Kergorlay.  He  can't  come  to  the  station  to  see 
us  off,  as  he  dines  with  the  King  in  the  country,  but 
will  send  his  chancelier  to  see  about  places,  luggage,  etc. 


156    LETTERS   OF  A   DIPLOMAT'S   WIFE    [July 

We  talked  a  great  deal  about  his  children.  He  feels  such 
a  responsibility,  and  it  is  hard  for  a  man  to  have  such  a 
young  family  to  look  after.  He  said  their  mother  was 
so  devoted  to  them — it  seems  hard  she  couldn't  have 
been  left  to  them  a  little  longer. 

I  breakfasted  downstairs,  had  a  little  talk  with  the 
Apperts,  and  then  went  to  the  reading-room  for  a  little 
while  to  see  if  there  was  any  news.  The  Comte  de 
Chambord  is  very  ill,  dying  they  say.  I  wonder  if  his 
death  will  make  any  difference  now — I  suppose  not.  He 
has  been  only  a  memory  practically  all  these  years,  as  he 
never  came  to  France,  and  only  a  few,  a  very  few  fideles 
clung  to  him  in  his  exile.  I  must  say  I  rather  admired 
him  always.  According  to  his  lights  (limited  I  grant), 
he  was  absolutely  consistent. 

I  had  another  visit  from  Col.  Hoffman,  who  came  to 
see  if  we  were  really  going  to-night.  We  have  a  de- 
spatch from  Richard  saying  that  we  will  have  much  diffi- 
culty in  getting  into  any  hotel  in  Hamburg — the  town 
is  very  full.  There  are  races  going  on,  also  a  scientific 
congress  of  some  kind — however,  the  proprietor  of  this 
hotel  says  it  is  all  right,  they  will  keep  us  rooms.  W. 
came  in  at  5,  having  been  working  steadily  since  9.30  this 
morning.  He  took  a  cordial  leave  of  the  various  Con- 
servateurs  and  Directors,  but  thinks  they  were  not  sorry 
to  see  him  go,  and  take  up  their  quiet  life,  two  or  three 
hours  a  day  in  the  cabinet  instead  of  6  or  7. 

My  next  letter  will  be  from  Hamburg — and  after  that 
I  will  tell  all  I  have  seen  and  done,  which  will  be  much 
easier  than  writing. 


1883]  THE  JOURNEY  TO  KIEL  £57 

Railway  Station,  Kiel,  7  a.m., 
Tuesday,  July  3d. 

We  have  two  hours  to  wait  here,  so  I  will  scribble  a 
line  to  you,  which  will  help  to  pass  the  time.  We  got 
off  very  early  last  night.  Some  of  the  young  men  from 
the  Legation  were  waiting  at  the  station  with  a  servant 
to  help  us  with  our  baggage.  It  really  was  not  neces- 
sary, as  we  have  only  two  trunks,  and  the  porter  of  the 
hotel  is  most  helpful  and  energetic.  It  was  very  warm 
even  at  that  hour,  and  the  compartment  was  stuffy,  a 
good  many  passengers.  We  got  to  Korsoe  about  11. 
The  boat  was  directly  opposite  the  station,  and  we  went 
on  board  at  once.  There  was  some  delay  getting  the 
baggage  on  board,  so  we  sat  quietly  on  deck  and  had  our 
tea,  and  cooled  off.  The  cabin  felt  so  hot  when  I  went 
down  to  leave  my  things  that  I  couldn't  make  up  my 
mind  to  install  myself,  particularly  as  the  crossing  (the 
Belt)  was  short,  about  5  hours.  The  Captain  said  we 
should  arrive  between  4  and  5  at  Kiel.  We  stayed  on 
deck  till  nearly  one  o'clock.  It  was  a  lovely  night,  the 
sea  quite  calm,  but  a  good  breeze  once  outside,  which 
freshened  considerably  as  we  drew  away  from  the  land. 

I  went  down  about  one,  but  didn't  get  much  sleep, 
and  was  quite  ready  to  go  up  on  deck  when  they  called 
me  at  4.30,  and  said  we  were  approaching  Kiel.  Almost 
all  the  passengers  were  on  deck.  The  approach  is  not 
particularly  interesting.  I  heard -two  gentlemen  discuss- 
ing us  in  English.  They  had  seen  our  trunks  all  la- 
belled Waddington,  Couronnement,  had  taken  renseigne- 
ments  from  the  Captain,  who  assured  them  W.  was  the 
French  Ambassador.  They  thought  he  must  be  mistaken. 
"That  man  is  an  Englishman — he  is  speaking  English 
now  to  the  lady — I  have  heard  them  talking  always  in 
English.    They  certainly  are  not  French."    They  hovered 


158    LETTERS   OF  A   DIPLOMAT'S   WIFE    [July 

about  us,  and  then  looked  rather  bewildered,  for  Ade- 
laide came  up  to  ask  me  something,  and  then  W.  and  I 
finished  our  talk  in  French.  We  speak  sometimes 
French,  sometimes  English,  it  depends  upon  our  milieu. 
The  harbour  is  line  as  one  gets  up  to  it.  How  hard  for 
the  Danes  to  give  it  up,  and  how  they  must  hate  the 
Germans.  We  got  off  about  5.30.  The  city  was  still 
wrapped  in  sleep.  We  walked  about  a  little,  and  it  was  a 
curious  sensation  to  walk  about  in  apparently  a  dead 
town.  We  had  some  breakfast  at  the  station,  and  have 
been  out  again.  Then  (7  o'clock)  the  town  was  quite 
lively,  workmen  moving  about.  We  shall  start  in  about  a 
quarter  of  an  hour,  and  have  about  two  hours  and  a  half 
to  Hamburg.  The  long  wait  here  has  been  tiresome, 
nearly  three  hours.  The  movement  on  the  water  and 
the  quais  was  amusing,  but  really  until  after  7  not  a 
soul  was  stirring,  at  least  not  in  this  quarter,  and  no  trains 
coming  or  going. 

To  H.  L.  K. 

Hamburg, 
Tuesday,  July  3d,  1883. 

No  words  can  tell.  Dear,  how  uncomfortable  we  are, 
hot  and  cross.  We  arrived  at  1 1,  after  a  very  hot,  dusty 
journey.  The  town  is  crammed,  even  at  this  hotel  where 
they  had  kept  rooms  for  us  (and  such  nasty  little  rooms, 
a  small  salon,  giving  on  the  street  it  is  true,  so  that  we 
can  see  all  that  goes  on,  and  two  minute  bedrooms  on  one 
side)  we  can't  get  our  trunks,  nor  apparently  our  break- 
fast. The  hotel  people  are  quite  affoles.  There  are 
races  (with  a  German  Prince  of  some  kind  either  presid- 
ing or  running  horses,  I  can't  make  out  which),  a  horti- 
cultural show,  a  cattle  fair,  and  an  anniversary  of  some- 
thing). 


1883]  IN    HAMBURG  i59 

We  said  we  would  take  a  carriage  this  afternoon  and 
drive  about  the  city,  and  we  might  just  as  well  have  asked 
for  a  balloon — nothing  to  be  had  before  7  o'clock.  I 
should  think  every  carriage  in  Hamburg  was  out — quan- 
tities of  all  kinds  and  large  omnibuses  are  passing  under 
the  windows,  filled  with  women  in  light  dresses,  and 
a  generally  festive  appearance.  They  hope  to  give  us 
one  then. 

We  have  had  breakfast — the  dining-room  large,  fairly 
cool,  and  empty  (as  it  was  late  everyone  had  breakfasted 
and  flown).  Just  as  we  had  got  upstairs  again  the  man 
of  the  hotel  came  and  asked  if  Madame  TAmbassadrice 
de  France  would  receive  Madame  TAmbassadrice  de 
France. 

We  were  rather  puzzled,  but  said  of  course  we 
would  receive  anyone  who  came,  and  in  walked  M. 
et  Mdme.  de  Courcel,  and  M.  de  Pina,  our  Consul 
here,  M.  de  Sancy,  the  military  attache  at  Berlin.  We 
were  delighted  to  see  them.  The  Courcels  had  been  pay- 
ing a  visit  to  the  Duke  of  Sagan  in  his  splendid  place, 
and,  being  not  far  from  Hamburg,  had  come  on  to 
see  the  town.  They  were  going  to  the  races  with  M.  de 
Pina,  and  wanted  us  to  come,  but  we  didn't  care  to 
(and  indeed  I  don't  know  how  we  should  have  gone,  as 
they  had  a  small  carriage  which  just  held  them,  and  we 
had  none) . 

M.  de  Pina  asked  us  to  dine  with  the  Courcels  at  8.30, 
and  that  we  were  very  glad  to  do,  as  the  prospect  of  a 
dinner  in  the  big  dining-room,  with  all  the  crowd  of 
hungry  people  back  from  the  various  festivities,  was  not 
alluring.  Pina  told  us  as  we  couldn't  get  a  carriage 
we  had  better  take  one  of  the  small  steamers  that  ply 
about  in  the  inner  harbour,  and  have  an  hour's  sail.  He 
was  sure  we  would  find  it  pretty  and  interesting.     It 


i6o    LETTERS   OF  A   DIPLOMAT'S   WIFE    [July 

would  certainly  be  cooler  than  sitting  in  that  stuffy  little 
salon. 

There  is  nothing  to  see  now  in  the  streets,  as  the  whole 
population  is  out  of  town,  and  the  rumbling  of  carriages 
has  ceased  for  the  moment.  W.  is  lying  back  in  an  arm- 
chair, with  a  cigar,  in  his  shirt  sleeves,  groaning  with  the 
heat ;  and  very  hot  it  must  be  to  reduce  him  to  that  state. 
I  have  a  theory  that  no  Waddington  knows  what  heat 
means.  No  words  can  describe  what  I  feel.  Certainly 
fine  feathers  make  fine  birds,  and  I  think  no  one  would 
recognize  the  gold  embroidered,  bejewelled  couple  that 
went  in  the  coupe  d'Orsay  to  the  gala  dinner  at  the 
Palace. 

II  o'clock. 
We  are  just  in  from  the  Consul's  dinner,  and  as  it 
is  cooler  in  the  salon  with  the  windows  open  than  in  my 
room,  I  will  finish  my  letter  to-night.  We  start  to-mor- 
row morning  at  9  o'clock  for  Cologne  and  Paris.  Now 
that  we  are  getting  so  near  I  am  very  homesick  for  the 
boy,  and  for  my  own  house.  The  constant  moving 
about  and  living  in  hotels  for  the  last  fortnight  has  been 
tiring.  I  have  got  nothing  left  either  to  say  to  anybody 
— I  have  described  the  Coronation  so  many  times  that  it 
is  almost  mechanical  now — the  words  come  by  them- 
selves— a  steady  stream,  like  the  paper  that  rolls  off 
the  telegrams.  I  think  I  should  never  do  for  a  perma- 
nent Ambassadress  if  six  weeks  of  functions  have  ex- 
hausted me  physically  and  mentally.  As  usual  tho'  last 
impressions  are  the  strongest.  I  have  already  forgotten 
Moscow  a  little,  and  see  the  journey  from  Petersburg  to 
Stockholm  more  clearly  than  anything  else.  I  am  sorry 
now  that  I  didn't  write  a  regular  journal.  Almost  all  the 
gentlemen  did,  and  it  would  have  been  no  trouble  if  I  had 


1883]  THE  INNER  HARBOUR  i6i 

made  up  my  mind  to  it,  and  written  regularly,  but  un- 
fortunately my  writing-table  at  Maison  Klein  was  on  the 
court,  and  as  soon  as  I  established  myself  all  sorts  of 
interesting  things  immediately  began  to  take  place  under 
the  window,  and  the  ink  was  bad  and  thick,  and  I  got 
it  all  over  my  fingers,  and  even  up  in  my  hair — I  hate  so 
to  write. 

We  sat  all  the  afternoon  indoors  until  6  o'clock,  when 
a  little  breeze  sprang  up,  and  we  walked  down  a  few  steps 
only  to  the  wharf  from  which  the  little  steamers  sail. 
It  is  about  an  hour,  the  tour  round  the  lake,  or  inner 
harbour — quite  charming — all  the  shores  covered  with 
pretty  houses  and  villas,  with  lawns,  and  gardens  full  of 
flowers,  sloping  down  to  the  water's  edge.  One  would 
never  have  dreamed  of  finding  anything  so  pretty  and 
so  country  in  this  very  business-like  place.  Many  of  the 
villas  had  nice  little  jetties  and  piers  that  ran  out  quite 
far  into  the  water,  and  pretty  boats  and  boat-houses. 
It  seemed  incredible  to  find  all  this  so  close  to  the 
hot,  crowded  hotel  where  we  had  been  all  day.  The 
boat  was  quite  full — principally  business  men  going  back 
to  dine  and  sleep  at  their  country  houses — all  Germans 
— we  were  certainly  the  only  foreigners  on  the  boat.  It 
rather  reminded  me  of  Staten  Island  at  home — the  after- 
noon boat  with  all  the  business  men  on  board,  only  one 
didn't  have  the  broad  expanse  of  the  beautiful  New 
York  Bay,  but  a  small  land-locked  lake. 

The  sail  and  breeze  (such  as  it  was)  revived  us,  and 
we  had  time  to  dress  comfortably  for  our  dinner.  We 
didn't  see  the  great  port — divined  it  only,  with  the  forest 
of  masts  of  all  sizes. 

Our  dinner  was  very  pretty  and  pleasant.  Our  host 
was  some  time  in  Holland,  and  has  some  lovely  specimens 
of  blue  Delft,  and  some  fine  carved  furniture.    We  had 


1 62    LETTERS   OF  A  DIPLOMAT'S   WIFE    [July 

only  M.  and  Mdme.  de  Courcel  (who  arrived  very  late, 
having  been  caught  in  the  file  of  carriages  coming  from 
the  races),  M.  de  Sancy,  the  first  magistrate  of  the  city, 
the  Burgomaster,  all  in  black,  a  plain  tight  coat,  with  a 
white  fraise,  very  stifif  and  high  around  his  neck,  and  a 
long  gold  chain.  Also  two  of  the  principal  merchants 
of  Hamburg — the  Courcels  were  staying  with  one  of 
them,  as  they  could  get  no  rooms  anywhere.  The  house 
was  almost  shut  up — all  the  family  out  of  town,  and  a 
femme  de  charge  to  look  after  them.  They  said  the 
rooms  were  very  comfortable,  and  they  took  their  meals 
at  a  restaurant  or  with  M.  de  Pina,  who  is  certainly  most 
hospitable. 

W.  was  delighted  to  see  Courcel  and  tell  him  all  about 
the  Coronation,  and  his  impressions  of  all  the  people  he 
had  seen.  The  Burgomaster,  too,  was  very  keen  to  hear 
what  we  thought  about  everything.  He  is  a  clever  old 
man,  speaking  French  fairly  well.  They  all  evidently 
think  there  is  much  discontent  in  Russia,  and  some  day 
there  will  be  a  great  upheaving — de  Sancy  told  me  that 
Radziwill,  Aide-de-Camp  to  the  German  Emperor,  told 
him  that  our  equipages,  horses,  etc.,  were  so  good.  We 
thought  so,  but  were  not  perhaps  quite  impartial.  Rich- 
ard says  we  all  used  to  sit  up  talking  after  every  cere- 
mony, and  say  how  well  we  did  things. 

After  dinner  M.  de  Pina  showed  us  some  of  his  curios, 
which  are  interesting  and  very  well  arranged.  One  of 
the  two  merchants,  I  quite  forget  the  name,  has  a  beau- 
tiful villa  on  the  Elbe,  some  little  distance  from  Ham- 
burg, and  wants  us  very  much  to  come  and  make  them 
a  visit.  I  was  much  tempted — it  would  be  amusing  to 
see  a  bit  of  German  business  life,  and  I  think  W.  would 
not  have  minded  if  the  invitation  could  be  accepted  at 
once — but  we  would  have  to  remain  on  here   for  two 


I883J  THE  PORT  BY  MOONLIGHT  163 

days,  as  the  gentleman  is  going  somewhere  else  before 
he  goes  home,  and  really  two  days  in  these  horrid  little 
rooms  would  be  impossible.  M.  de  Pina  told  us  the 
villas  of  some  of  these  merchant  princes  are  beautiful, 
with  splendid  gardens  and  all  the  luxe  that  money  can 
give.  He  says  they  spend  much  more  for  their  country 
houses  than  for  their  town  establishments. 

We  broke  up  about  10,  as  everyone  was  tired.  It  was 
a  beautiful  moonlight  night,  so  we  told  our  coachman 
to  take  us  round  by  the  great  port.  It  was  most  curious. 
The  water  was  black  except  just  where  the  streak  of 
moonlight  fell  on  it,  and  there  were  thousands  of  ships  of 
all  kinds  from  all  quarters  of  the  globe — smoke  coming 
out  of  the  chimneys  of  some  of  the  big  steamers,  evi- 
dently preparing  for  an  early  start  to-morrow  morning, 
and  millions  of  masts  tapering  up  against  the  sky.  Lights 
in  every  direction,  some  high,  some  low,  and  even  at 
that  hour  of  the  night  little  boats  flying  about.  One 
saw  a  dark  object  start  off  from  the  wharf — suddenly 
stand  out  well  crossing  the  moonlight  streak,  and  then 
disappear — there  was  a  constant  sound  of  oars  and  row- 
locks, and  long  creaking  noises  like  pulleys,  and  heavy 
things  being  hoisted  on  board  a  ship.  They  say  the 
animation,  and  noise,  and  dust,  and  smells  are  extraordi- 
nary in  the  daytime — but  at  night-time  all  looked  ex- 
tremely picturesque. 

Cologne  Gare,  10  o*  clock  Mercredi  soir, 
4  Juillet. 

We  got  ofif  this  morning  at  9.30  from  Hamburg,  and 
had  a  long,  hot,  dusty  journey — nothing  very  pretty  to 
see.  We  arrived  here  about  6.30,  found  the  Consul,  Mr. 
Brandt,  waiting  at  the  station  with  a  carriage.  He  pro- 
posed a  drive — going  first  to  the  Cathedral,  to  see  it  by 


164    LETTERS   OF  A  DIPLOMAT'S  WIFE.   [July 

daylight,  and  then  to  dine  with  him  at  the  station,  where 
there  is  a  very  good  restaurant,  so  we  sent  all  our  small 
things  over  to  the  private  room,  and  started  off  to  the 
Cathedral.  I  was  delighted  to  see  it  again  after  so  many 
years.  Do  you  remember  it  was  the  first  European 
Cathedral  we  saw  after  Notre  Dame,  that  first  year  when 
we  came  down  the  Rhine.  How  magnificent  it  is,  out- 
side and  inside — the  long,  stately  vaulted  aisles,  so  high 
and  so  still.  There  was  no  one  in  the  church  at  that 
hour,  and  we  had  a  delightful  half  hour.  We  walked  all 
around  the  outside,  and  then  went  back  to  the  station 
to  dine — and  a  very  good  dinner  it  was,  in  the  same 
room  where  we  breakfasted  when  we  started  for  Russia, 
now  nearly  two  months  ago,  when  all  seemed  so  vague, 
and  rather  a  plunge  into  the  unknown.  We  shall  cer- 
tainly have  souvenirs  for  all  our  lives. 

As  we  were  finishing  dinner  the  Chef  de  Gare  came  to 
say  that  a  '*lit-salon"  was  reserved  for  us,  and  he  would 
have  all  the  ''kleines  gepack"  put  into  the  compartment, 
and  tell  us  at  the  last  moment.  The  train  starts  at  10.30, 
and  we  get  to  Paris  at  10  to-morrow  morning,  so  we 
thought  we  would  go  out  again  and  drive  about  a  little, 
as  we  had  so  long  to  wait.  We  had  a  nice  turn  in  the 
moonlight — the  Cathedral  looked  beautiful,  and  we 
crossed  the  Rhine  and  drove  some  little  distance  on  the 
other  side  of  the  river  to  have  the  view  of  the  city.  Now 
one  or  two  Frenchmen  who  are  here  are  talking  to  W. 
They  have  brought  us  tea,  and  I  am  scribbling  this  to 
you. 

It  is  delightful,  Dear,  to  think  that  to-morrow  at  break- 
fast I  shall  be  telling  you  all  this,  and  Baby  sitting  up  in 
his  high  chair,  looking  at  me  hard  out  of  his  round,  blue 
eyes.  There  is  one  good  thing  in  getting  home,  I 
needn't  write  any  more  letters. 


i883l  ARRIVAL  IN  PARIS  165 

To  G.  K.  S. 

Paris, 

31    RUE   DUMONT   D*UrVILLE, 

July  5th,  1883. 

We  got  back  this  morning  at  10  o'clock.  The  jour- 
ney was  very  comfortable — there  is  nothing  like  those 
French  "lits-salons."  Our  departure  from  Cologne  was 
rather  amusing.  The  Chef  de  Gare  summoned  us  at 
the  last  moment — all  the  passengers  had  taken  their 
places,  the  doors  were  shut,  ofificials  careering  up  and 
down  the  platform,  and  yet  the  train  didn't  start.  Va- 
rious heads  were  put  out  of  the  windows,  and  one  or  two 
irate  gentlemen  inquired  what  they  were  waiting  for, 
and  why  didn't  we  start.  Then  we  appeared  strolling 
leisurely  down  the  platform,  with  a  small  suite  of  gentle- 
men, oflficers,  etc.  The  adieux  were  again  a  little  long, 
and  really  one  man  was  bursting  with  rage,  and  not  at 
all  mollified  when  he  heard  it  was  an  Ambassador  return- 
ing to  France  after  the  Coronation;  "he  supposed  Am- 
bassadors could  be  as  punctual  as  anybody  else,  and  when 
an  express  started  at  10.30,  it  was  10.30  for  everybody." 

We  were  very  pleased  to  find  Hubert  and  the  coupe 
waiting  for  us  at  the  Gare  de  I'Est,  and  Baby  and 
Nounou  in  the  street  at  the  door  of  the  porte  cochere. 

Well,  the  Moscow  Coronation  is  over — I  wonder  what 
the  next  turn  of  the  wheel  will  bring  us. 


PART   II 
TEN   YEARS    IN    ENGLAND 


To  G,  K.  S. 

Boulogne-sur-Mer, 
August,  1883. 

Here  we  are  after  all  settled  for  a  month  at  the  sea.  I 
really  needed  the  change  and  the  sea-air  after  the  fatigues 
of  Moscow,  and  I  was  glad  to  get  out  of  my  own  house, 
which  is  still  crowded  with  boxes  and  huge  cases  labelled 
Waddington  Couronnement,  which  now  will  not  be  un- 
packed, but  go  direct  to  London,  as  all  the  Court  dresses, 
gala  liveries,  harness,  etc.,  will  be  needed  there. 

We  decided  just  at  the  last  moment  to  come  here,  and 
consequently  couldn't  get  a  house  near  the  big  hotels  in 
the  real  "quartier  des  baigneurs,"  so  we  have  taken  one 
quite  the  other  end  of  the  town  near  all  the  fishing  boats. 
They  are  a  never-failing  attraction.  We  love  to  see  them 
go  out,  and,  above  all,  come  in,  when  all  the  women, 
bare-legged,  and  with  flat  baskets  on  their  backs,  go  out 
to  meet  them  and  bring  in  the  fish.  W.  wanted  us  to 
come  here,  as  he  was  in  London  and  thought  he  would 
often  get  over  from  Saturday  to  Monday. 

I  made  my  first  visit  to  the  Embassy  on  the  15th  of 
August  (Joumee  de  TAssomption).  W.  thought  I  had 
better  come  over  and  see  the  house  before  arriving  in 
November  to  take  possession.     We  started  quite  cheer- 

167 


1 68    LETTERS   OF  A   DIPLOMAT'S   WIFE   [Aug. 

fully.  It  was  warm  and  bright  with  a  good  breeze — a 
few  white-caps,  but  nothing  out  of  the  way.  We  saw 
the  boats  dance  a  little  as  they  came  in,  but  didn't  real- 
ise what  a  gale  was  blowing  until  we  got  on  board  of 
ours.  The  wind  was  howling  through  the  rigging,  and 
the  Captain  told  us  he  couldn't  start,  as  the  wind  was 
blowing  the  water  off  the  bar.  It  increased  very  much 
while  we  were  waiting,  and  several  passengers  left  the 
boat  and  stayed  over  in  Boulogne  until  the  next  day. 
However  we  had  promised  to  go;  we  are  fairly  good  sail- 
ors, and  W.  had  just  two  idle  days  he  could  give  us 
in  London — so  we  started.  It  was  certainly  the  worst 
crossing  I  have  ever  made.  The  boat  rolled  and  pitched 
terribly,  we  shipped  heavy  seas  all  the  time,  and  arrived 
at  Folkestone  shivering  and  drenched.  All  the  way  to 
London  we  felt  little  streams  of  water  running  down  our 
backs,  and  our  hats  were  a  curiosity — filled  with  water 
like  a  bowl.  We  emptied  them  on  the  quay,  but  the 
feathers,  of  course,  were  finished.  We  were  met  at  Vic- 
toria by  two  swell  young  secretaries,  in  evening  dress, 
with  gardenias  in  their  button-holes,  who  had  come  to 
meet  their  Ambassadress;  and  I  have  wondered  since 
what  impression  they  had  of  the  limp,  damp,  exhausted 
female  they  extracted  from  the  reserved  saloon  carriage. 
It  was  only  a  few  minutes'  drive  to  the  Embassy  at  Al- 
bert Gate,  where  we  were  received  by  a  stout  porter  and 
a  most  distinguished  ''groom  of  the  chambers,"  dressed 
in  black,  with  a  silver  chain  around  his  neck.  We  dined 
alone  in  a  fair-sized  dining-room,  with  splendid  Gobelin 
tapestries  on  the  walls.  W.  came  in  about  ii,  having 
had  a  man's  dinner  with  Gladstone. 

The  next  day  we  went  all  over  the  house,  which  is 
neither  handsome  nor  comfortable.  It  is  high  and  nar- 
row, like  a  cage,  with  no  very  large  rooms,  and  a  general 


1883]   THE    EMBASSY    AT    ALBERT    GATE    169 

appearance  of  dinginess  and  accumulated  dust.  How- 
ever, the  Minister  has  promised  to  paint  and  clean,  and 
to  do  over  the  small  drawing-room  entirely,  just  as  I  like. 
Of  course  I  shall  have  blue  satin — you  remember  how  I 
always  like  blue  everywhere,  on  me  and  near  me.  The 
situation  is  delightful,  on  the  Park — just  at  Albert  Gate. 
The  windows  and  balconies  of  the  drawing-rooms  give 
on  the  drive,  and  the  ''Row"  is  so  near  that  I  could 
easily  recognise  horses  and  riders.  The  season  is  prac- 
tically over,  but  I  have  just  seen  a  pretty  group  pass;  a 
lady  mounted  on  a  fine  chestnut  and  a  child  on  each  side 
of  her  on  nice,  small  fat  ponies;  close  to  the  little  girl, 
about  eight  years  old,  with  her  fair  hair  streaming  down 
her  back  from  under  a  blue  cap,  rides  an  old  groom,  evi- 
dently much  pleased  with  his  little  lady's  performance, 
and  watching  her  so  carefully. 

Our  inspection  of  the  house  took  us  all  the  morning. 
The  kitchen,  offices,  servants'  hall  and  rooms  are  enor- 
mous, and  in  very  bad  order.  I  should  think  it  would 
take  weeks  to  get  it  clean  and  habitable,  and  need  an 
army  of  servants  to  keep  it  so.  I  am  thinking  rather 
sadly  of  my  little  hotel  in  Paris,  so  clean  and  bright,  with 
not  a  dark  corner  anywhere. 

We  went  out  driving  in  the  afternoon,  and  I  had  my 
first  experience  as  Ambassadress,  as  the  coachman  drove 
down  Constitution  Hill — a  right  of  way  reserved  for 
Royalties  and  the  Corps  Diplomatique.  We  went 
straight  to  Mrs.  Brown,  the  famous  milliner,  in  Bond 
Street,  to  get  ourselves  new  hats,  as  ours  were  quite  im- 
possible after  our  very  lively  passage,  and  the  house- 
maid at  Albert  Gate  had  a  handsome  present  of  two 
hats  with  drooping  feathers  and  a  strong  smell  of  sea 
and  salt.  London  was  of  course  empty,  but  a  few  car- 
riages were  in  the  park,  and  it  amused  us  to  drive  about 


170    LETTERS   OF  A   DIPLOMATS   WIFE    [Aug. 

and  see  all  the  shops,  and  the  general  look  of  the  streets, 
so  different  from  Paris. 

We  spent  our  evening  quietly  at  home  looking  over  our 
installation  with  W.,  horses,  carriages,  servants,  and  in 
fact  the  complete  organisation  of  a  big  London  house, 
which  is  so  unlike  a  French  one.  I  shall  bring  over  all 
my  French  servants  and  add  as  many  English  as  are 
necessary.  I  don't  quite  see  Hubert,  our  French  coach- 
man, driving  about  the  London  streets,  and  keeping  to 
the  left.  I  should  think  we  should  have  daily  discussions 
with  all  the  drivers  in  London;  however,  we  must  try. 
I  wonder  if  I  shall  like  being  an  Ambassadress,  and  I  also 
wonder  how  long  we  shall  stay  here.  My  brother-in- 
law  R.  says  perhaps  two  years. 

We  got  back  three  days  ago — started  on  a  bright  sum- 
mer's day.  The  Ambassador  and  secretaries  came  down 
to  the  station  to  see  us  off,  and  W.  promised  to  come 
over  and  spend  Sunday.  We  had  an  ideal  crossing — 
blue  sky,  bright  sun,  and  few  passengers,  and,  notwith- 
standing our  hard  experience  in  the  first  passage,  we  are 
glad  to  have  been  over  and  made  acquaintance  with  the 
personnel  of  the  Embassy,  also  to  have  seen  the  house 
and  reahzed  a  little  what  I  must  bring  over  to  give  it  a 
look  of  home. 

This  morning  we  have  the  news  of  the  Comte  de 
Chambord's  death,  and  I  am  wondering  if  it  will  make 
any  political  complication.  However,  for  years  past  he 
has  only  been  a  name — a  most  honourable  one  certainly— 
but  one  wants  more  than  that  to  deal  with  the  present 
state  of  France. 

After  all  W.  never  came  over.  Although  London  was 
empty,  he  had  always  some  business  to  attend  to,  and  on 
Sunday  usually  went  to  see  some  friends  in  the  country. 
Last  Sunday  he  spent  with  Lord  Granville  at  Walmer, 


1883]  BOULOGNE-SUR-MER  171 

which  he  said  was  delightful.  The  castle  so  close  to  the 
sea  that  the  big  ships  passed  almost  under  the  windows; 
Granville  himself  a  charming  host.  He  knows  France 
and  the  French  well,  having  been  a  great  deal  in  Paris 
as  a  boy  when  his  father  was  British  Ambassador  to 
Louis  Philippe  (1830-4);  Lord  Palmerston  was  then 
British  Foreign  Secretary. 

We  are  very  busy  these  days  making  our  ''pacquets," 
as  we  leave  in  three  days.  I  am  sorry  to  go,  as  I  have  so 
much  enjoyed  the  quiet  life  with  the  sisters  and  the  chil- 
dren. We  have  seen  few  people,  as  we  are  not  in  the 
fashionable  quarter,  but  we  have  become  most  intimate 
with  all  the  fishing  population.  The  young  women  and 
girls  jibe  at  us  when  we  go  shrimp  fishing,  on  terms  of 
perfect  equality — there  are  no  distinctions  in  the  sea — 
because  we  have  not  the  sleight  of  hand  necessary  to  jerk 
the  shining,  slippery  little  fish  into  the  basket  from  the 
net.  Some  local  swell,  the  Mayor,  I  think,  came  to  see 
me  the  other  day,  and  was  told  I  was  on  the  beach,  so 
he  came  down  and  was  much  astonished  when  they 
pointed  out  to  him  Madame  I'Ambassadrice  in  a  hat  and 
feathers,  diamond  ear-rings,  very  short  skirts,  and  neither 
shoes  nor  stockings,  w^alking  up  to  her  knees  in  the 
water  with  a  fishing-net  in  one  hand  and  a  basket  in  the 
other,  and  followed  by  her  little  son  and  niece  similarly 
equipped,  all  quite  happy  and  engrossed  with  their  sport. 
We  have  one  or  two  country  visits  to  make,  and  then  I 
must  have  some  time  in  Paris  to  dismantle  my  house 
and  make  my  preparations  for  London. 


172    LETTERS   OF  A  DIPLOMAT'S  WIFE   [Nov. 


To  J.  K. 

Mersham  Hatch,  Ashford,  Kent, 
Wednesday,  November  28,  1883. 

You  will  say  I  am  taking  up  my  old  habits  of  writing 
to  you  always  from  the  country,  but  you  cannot  im- 
agine how  busy  I  have  been  in  London  since  I  came 
over  just  2  weeks  ago  to-day. 

We  came  down  here  Monday  afternoon  to  stay  with 
W.'s  old  college  friend  and  cousin,  Charles  Monk.  The 
house  and  park  are  charming — quantities  of  large,  com- 
fortable rooms,  and  capital  shooting.  The  gentlemen 
brought  down  a  great  many  pheasants  yesterday.  The 
party  in  the  house  are  Lord  and  Lady  Abinger  and  Miss 
Scarlett,  Sir  George  and  Lady  Chetwode,  Mr.  Leveson- 
Gower,  a  brother  of  Lord  Granville,  with  a  most  polished 
courteous  manner;  a  Mr.  Price  W.  Powel,  and  a  young 
Wm.  Gladstone,  nephew  of  the  Premier.  Monk  has  no 
wife,  and  three  unmarried  daughters;  the  eldest,  Julia, 
does  the  honours  very  well  and  simply.  I  absolutely  de- 
clined the  9.30  breakfast  and  asked  to  have  my  tea  sent 
up  to  me. 

Yesterday  I  came  down  about  12,  took  a  little  turn  in 
the  garden  until  one,  and  at  1.30  had  luncheon.  Then 
we  went  for  a  drive  to  Eastwood,  the  Duke  of  Edin- 
burgh's place.  The  house  is  not  so  large  as  this,  but 
the  park  is  charming,  with  quantities  of  deer.  We  had 
tea  when  we  came  in — some  of  the  gentlemen  appeared 
and  we  dined  at  8,  all  the  ladies  most  gorgeous  in  satin, 
lace,  and  diamonds,  the  girls  generally  in  white.  After 
dinner  we  talked  a  little,  then  some  of  them  played 
whist,  and  the  young  ladies  sang.  This  morning  the 
gentlemen  have  started  again  shooting,  and  I  shall  sit 


1883]       A    COUNTRY    HOUSE    IN    KENT     173 

in  my  room  quite  quietly  until  12,  which  gives  me  an 
hour  and  a  half  with  the  ladies  before  luncheon. 

Thursday,  29th. 

W.  is  off  again  "running  for  partridges,"  whatever  that 
may  mean,  and  at  3  we  go  back  to  London.  He  has  a 
big  dinner  somewhere  to-night.  Yesterday  two  ladies 
came  over  to  luncheon,  and  in  the  afternoon  Julia  Monk 
and  I  took  a  drive  in  the  pony  carriage  to  meet  the 
sportsmen,  who  had  a  very  busy  day.  In  the  evening 
we  made  a  little  music.  Miss  Scarlett  played  very  well.  I 
expect  to  be  very  busy  all  this  next  week  in  London. 
The  workmen  will  be  out  of  the  drawing-rooms,  and  I 
shall  get  all  kinds  of  little  odd  tables  and  chairs  and  un- 
pack my  own  bibelots.  The  carriages  arrive,  too,  and 
we  must  decide  about  horses.  Two  English  giants  are 
engaged  as  footmen,  of  equal  height,  to  go  on  the  gala 
carriage,  and  we  have  our  own  two  Frenchmen,  one  of 
whom  is  very  tall.  He  and  Adelaide  came  down  here 
with  us,  and  Adelaide  is  much  entertained  at  the  respect 
with  which  she  is  treated.  She  looked  quite  a  swell  yes- 
terday with  her  black  silk  dress,  but  she  says  the  other 
maids  are  much  more  dressy,  attired  in  black  velvet  and 
satin  and  open  dresses.  Soon  there  will  be  nothing  left 
for  the  mistresses. 

I  will  stop  now,  as  I  must  be  down  a  little  earlier  this 
morning.  I  hope  you  will  soon  be  settled  in  Washing- 
ton, and  that  the  children  will  have  no  more  scarlet  fever 
or  measles  complications. 


174    LETTERS   OF  A  DIPLOMAT'S   WIFE    [Dec 

To  H.  L.  K. 

French  Embassy,  Albert  Gate, 
December  i,  1883. 

I  am  gradually  settling  down,  but  everything,  hours, 
service,  habits,  servants,  is  so  different  that  I  still  feel 
rather  strange.  I  quite  sympathised  with  Francis,  who 
was  already  unhappy  at  leaving  Paris  and  his  dear  "Nou- 
nou,"  and  very  much  put  out  with  his  new  German 
governess  who  was  deadly  ill  crossing.  His  woes  cul- 
minated on  arriving  at  Albert  Gate,  when  he  was  sol- 
emnly conducted  upstairs  by  a  very  tall  footman  to  his 
room  (a  nice  large  nursery  and  bedroom  giving  on  the 
Park),  and  he  wept  bitterly  and  refused  to  eat  any  dinner 
or  to  have  his  coat  and  hat  taken  ofT.  A  great  many  people 
have  been  to  see  us,  and  we  shall  have  some  quiet  din- 
ners— and  a  shooting  party  at  Mr.  Monk's  one  of  these 
days. 

The  shooting  party  at  Mr.  Monk's  was  pleasant.  He 
has  a  fine  large  house  and  capital  shooting.  The  ladies 
walked  about  a  little  and  followed  some  battues,  and 
everyone  assembled  in  the  drawing-room  for  tea.  All 
the  women  in  full  dress  and  diamonds  for  dinner. 

Our  Harcourt  dinnner  was  pleasant.  Sir  William  is 
charming — such  an  easy  talker,  with  no  pose  of  any  kind. 
It  is  decided  that  Lady  Harcourt  presents  me  to  the 
Queen.  Lady  Granville  is  away,  and  it  falls  upon  her 
as  wife  of  the  Home  Secretary.  Sir  William  had  been 
to  Windsor,  and  had  told  the  Queen  of  the  curious  co- 
incidence— the  French  Ambassadress,  an  American,  pre- 
sented by  the  wife  of  the  British  Home  Secretary,  also  an 
American,*  and  an  amie  d'enfance  of  Mrs.  Waddington. 

*  Lady  Harcourt  is  a  daughter  of  the  late  John  Lothrop  Motley,  the  his- 
torian. 


1883]  A    VISIT    TO     WINDSOR  i75 

I  had  some  little  difficulty  in  finding  out  what  I  was  to 
wear  (as  there  is  little  etiquette  at  the  English  Court 
upon  these  occasions),  but  they  finally  told  me  ordinary 
visiting  dress,  so  I  shall  wear  my  blue  velvet.  We  go 
down  to  lunch  and  see  the  Queen  afterward. 

December  7,  1883. 
I  have  had  my  audience  to-day,  and  will  write  to  you 
at  once  while  I  still  remember  it  all.  First  I  must  tell 
you  about  Francis.  He  heard  someone  asking  me  the 
other  day  if  I  had  been  yet  to  see  the  Queen.  I  saw  his 
face  change  a  little,  so  when  we  were  alone,  he  said, 
tremulously,  "Tu  vas  voir  la  Reine?"  "Oui,  mon  fils." 
''Est-elle  toujours  si  mechante?"  "Mais  la  Reine  n'est 
pas  mechante,  mon  enfant."  ''File  ne  vas  pas  te  faire 
couper  la  tete?"  Evidently  his  mind  had  been  running 
on  the  Tower  of  London,  where  we  went  the  other  day, 
and  where  the  block  on  which  Anne  Boleyn  and  Lady 
Jane  Grey  had  their  heads  cut  off  was  of  course  shown. 
When  he  heard  I  was  going  to  see  the  Queen,  his  heart 
failed  him,  and  I  had  some  difficulty  in  comforting  him, 
and  explaining  that  sovereigns  in  these  days  didn't  have 
recourse  to  such  extreme  measures  (at  least  in  civilised 
countries.  I  suppose  the  Shah  of  Persia  wouldn't  hesi- 
tate to  dispose  of  a  head  that  was  in  his  way). 

Lady  Harcourt  and  I  started  for  Paddington  at  i 
o'clock,  and  got  to  Windsor  a  little  before  two.  We 
found  a  landau  with  two  servants  in  plain  black  liveries 
waiting  for  us,  and  we  drove  at  once  to  the  Castle.  It 
was  a  beautiful  bright  day,  but  snow  had  fallen  heavily 
in  the  country,  so  that  the  old  gray  walls  and  round  tow- 
ers stood  out  splendidly  as  we  drove  up.  We  drove 
through  several  courts  and  finally  drew  up  at  an  entrance 
where  there  were  five  servants  in  the  royal  red  liveries 


176    LETTERS   OF  A  DIPLOMAT'S   WIFE    [Dec. 

with  crape  on  their  sleeves  (all  the  Queen's  household  are 
always  in  mourning),  a  big  Highlander  in  full  dress,  and 
a  butler  in  black  who  ushered  us  into  a  large  drawing- 
room  with  an  enormous  bow-window  looking  on  the 
Park.  Instantly  there  appeared  Lady  ErroU,  lady  in 
waiting,  and  four  maids  of  honour.  Lady  Erroll  shook 
hands  and  introduced  the  maids  of  honour,  who  made  us 
low  curtseys.  Then  came  Lord  Methuen — Lord  in  wait- 
ing— and  we  went  at  once  in  to  luncheon.  Everything 
was  served  on  silver  plate;  there  were  four  footmen  and 
a  butler,  but  the  repast  was  of  the  simplest  description — 
an  ordinary  English  luncheon — roast  mutton,  fowl,  pud- 
ding, apple-tart,  etc.  After  luncheon  we  talked  a  Httle, 
and  then  Sir  Henry  Ponsonby  appeared  to  give  Lady 
Harcourt  her  last  instructions.  It  was  the  first  time 
she  had  presented  an  Ambassadress  in  a  private 
audience.  Precisely  at  three  a  servant  in  black  ap- 
peared and  said,  ''Will  you  come  to  see  the  Queen?" 
Lady  Harcourt,  Ponsonby,  and  I  proceeded  down  a 
handsome  long  corridor  filled  with  pictures,  vitrines, 
of  china  principally,  and  old  furniture,  to  a  room  at 
one  end  where  a  footman  was  standing.  Sir  Henry 
opened  the  door.  Lady  Harcourt  made  a  low  curtsey 
at  the  threshold,  saying,  "I  have  the  honour  to  pre- 
sent the  French  Ambassadress,"  and  then  immediately 
backed  herself  out,  and  I  found  myself  in  the  room. 
I  made  a  first  low  curtsey,  but  before  I  had  time  to  make 
another  the  Queen,  who  was  standing  in  the  middle  of 
the  room  with  Princess  Beatrice,  advanced  a  step,  shook 
hands,  and  said,  with  a  very  pretty  smile  and  manner, 
"I  am  very  glad  to  see  you."  She  asked  me  to  sit  down, 
and  talked  a  great  deal,  was  most  gracious,  asked  me  if  I 
was  getting  accustomed  to  the  climate  and  the  stairs, 
whether  I  had  seen  all  my  "colleagues,"  and  how  many 


1883]       AUDIENCE    WITH    THE    QUEEN        177 

children  I  had.  When  I  said  one  httle  boy  whom  I  had  left 
in  London,  she  asked  me  what  he  was  doing ;  I  thought  I 
would  tell  her  about  his  fears  for  his  mother's  head,  so  I 
replied  he  was  trembling  at  home  until  his  mother  should 
return.  She  looked  a  little  surprised,  but  was  really 
amused,  and  laughed  when  I  told  her  his  preoccupations; 
said,  'Toor  little  boy,  how  glad  he  will  be  to  see  his 
mother  back  with  her  head  on  her  shoulders." 

Princess  Beatrice  took  no  part  in  the  conversation. 
She  looked  smiling  and  very  intelligent.  The  Queen 
was  very  simply  dressed  in  black,  with  her  white  widow's 
cap  and  veil,  no  ornaments,  but  a  gold  chain  and  pearls 
around  her  neck,  and  a  medallion  with  a  portrait  of  a  man 
in  uniform,  whom  I  supposed  to  be  Prince  Albert. 
I  think  the  interview  lasted  about  fifteen  minutes.  Then 
the  Queen  arose,  shook  hands,  and  said  she  hoped  my 
husband  and  I  would  like  the  life  in  England.  Princess 
Beatrice  shook  hands — I  backed  myself  out,  and  it  was 
over.  I  was  very  much  impressed  with  the  Queen's  per- 
sonality. She  is  short,  stout,  and  her  face  rather  red, 
but  there  is  a  great  air  of  dignity  and  self-possession,  and 
a  beautiful  smile  which  lights  up  her  whole  face. 

I  never  could  find  out  any  minor  details  in  dress,  as  to 
taking  off  veil,  gloves,  etc.,  but  I  did  as  I  had  done  with 
other  Royalties  and  took  off  veil  and  gloves,  which  I  hope 
was  right. 

Lady  Harcourt  and  Ponsonby  were  waiting  for  me  in 
the  corridor,  and  seemed  to  think  my  audience  had  been 
longer  than  usual — were  also  surprised  that  the  Queen 
made  me  sit  down.  It  seems  she  sometimes  receives 
standing  all  the  time,  at  a  first  formal  presentation. 

As  we  had  some  little  time  before  starting  for  the  sta- 
tion, Ponsonby  showed  us  part  of  the  Castle.  The  great 
halls,  St.  George's  and  Waterloo,  are  very  fine,  and  it  was 


178    LETTERS   OF  A   DIPLOMAT'S   WIFE    [Dec. 

interesting  to  see  the  great  pictures  which  one  has  always 
seen  reproduced  in  engravings — the  Queen's  Marriage, 
Coronation,  Reception  of  King  Louis  Philippe,  Baptism 
of  the  Prince  of  Wales,  etc.  One  room  was  beautiful, 
filled  with  Van  Dycks.  We  went  back  to  the  station  in 
the  same  carriage,  and  Lady  Harcourt  and  I  talked  hard 
all  the  way  home.  It  was  certainly  a  very  simple  afifair; 
as  Httle  etiquette  as  possible,  but  the  Castle  was  fine. 
The  old  gray  fortress  and  its  towers  and  crenellated  walls, 
the  home  of  the  sovereign  who  lives  there  with  little 
pomp  and  few  guards — guarded  by  her  people,  in  the 
same  Castle,  and  the  same  surroundings  as  when  she  be- 
gan her  long  reign,  a  mere  girl.  When  one  thinks  of  all 
the  changes  she  has  seen  in  other  countries — kingdoms 
and  dynasties  disappearing — one  can  realise  what  a  long 
wise  rule  hers  has  been.  It  is  such  a  contrast  to  my  last 
Royal  Audience  at  Moscow,  which  now  seems  a  con- 
fused memory  of  Court  officials,  uniforms,  gold-laced 
coats,  jewelled  canes  (I  can  see  one  of  the  Chamberlains 
who  had  an  enormous  sapphire  at  the  end  of  his  staff), 
princes,  peasants,  Cossacks,  costumes  of  every  descrip- 
tion, court  carriages,  Russian  carriages,  the  famous  at- 
telage  of  three  horses,  every  language  under  the  sun, 
and  all  jostling  and  crowding  each  other  in  the  courts 
of  the  Kremlin — with  its  wonderful  churches  and  domes 
of  every  possible  colour  from  pink  to  green — only  sol- 
diers, soldiers  everywhere,  and  the  people  kept  at  a  dis- 
tance— very  unlike  what  I  have  just  seen  here. 

Sunday,  December  i6,  1883. 

This  afternoon  we  have  had  our  audience  of  the  Prince 
and  Princess  of  Wales — W.  and  I  together.  We  got 
to  Marlborough  House  a  little  before  4,  and  were  shown 
at  once  into  a  room  on  the  ground  floor,  where  we  found 


J.  J.  Jusserand,  Counsellor  of  the  French  Embassy,  1883 

Recently  appointed  French  Ambassador  to  the  United  States. 

From  a  photograph  by  Walery,  Paris. 


1883]  AT  MARLBOROUGH  HOUSE  179 

Miss  Knollys  and  a  gentleman  in  waiting.  In  a  few 
minutes  Sir  Dighton  Probyn,  comptroller  of  the  house- 
hold, appeared  and  took  us  upstairs  to  a  large,  handsome 
salon.  He  opened  the  door,  and  we  found  the  Prince 
and  Princess  standing.  The  room  was  filled  with  pretty 
things.  The  Princess  was  dressed  in  blue  velvet  (I  too 
— I  daresay  Fromont  made  both  dresses),  and  looked 
charming,  no  older  than  when  I  had  seen  her  in  Paris 
three  or  four  years  ago,  and  with  that  same  beautiful 
slight  figure  and  gracious  manner. 

While  the  Prince  and  W.  were  talking  she  asked  me 
a  great  deal  about  Moscow  and  the  Coronation,  and 
particularly  if  the  Empress  was  well  dressed  always,  as 
she  had  been  rather  bothered  with  the  quantity  of 
dresses,  manteaux  de  cour,  etc.,  that  she  was  obliged  to 
have.  The  Prince  remembered  that  I  was  the  grand- 
daughter of  Rufus  King,  who  had  been  United  States 
Minister  to  London  under  George  HL  He  was  very 
pleasant,  with  a  charming,  courteous  manner.  The 
Princess  instantly  referred  to  Francis  and  his  fears  for 
his  mother's  head,  of  which  she  said  the  Queen  had  told 
her. 

Friday,  21st. 

This  afternoon  we  had  tea  with  the  Duke  and  Duchess 
of  Albany.  She  is  a  German  Princess,  and  was  rather 
shy  at  first,  but  when  the  tea  came  it  was  easier.  The 
Duke  is  very  amiable,  talks  easily.  He  looks,  and  is,  I 
believe,  delicate.  We  have  a  few  dinners  before  us,  and 
I  am  gradually  getting  to  know  all  my  colleagues. 
Mohrenheim  is  Russian  Ambassador;  Miinster  German; 
and  Nigra  Italian.  Miinster  is  practically  an  English- 
man. His  second  wife  was  Lady  Harriet  St.  Clair,  a 
sister  of  Lord  Rosslyn.     He  is  evidently  English  in  his 


i8o    LETTERS   OF  A  DIPLOMAT'S   WIFE     IJan. 

tastes  and  habits,  rides  regularly  in  the  Park,  and  drives 
a  coach  with  four  chestnuts  that  are  known  all  over  Lon- 
don. Mr.  Lowell  is  United  States  Minister,  and  is  much 
Hked  and  appreciated  in  England.  Mrs.  Lowell  is  in 
bad  health  and  goes  out  very  little. 

To  H.  L.  K. 

Albert  Gate, 
January  5,  1884. 

This  afternoon  we  had  our  audience  from  the  old 
Duchess  of  Cambridge.  We  found  her  in  handsome 
rooms  in  St.  James's  Palace,  and  one  lady  in  waiting  with 
her.  She  was  lying  on  a  sofa — she  is  very  old,  eighty- 
four — has  seen  and  known  everyone,  and  talks  easily 
both  French  and  English.  It  really  seemed  a  page  of 
history  to  listen  to  her.  She  asked  us  to  come  back,  and 
Lady  G.  told  us  that  when  she  felt  well,  visits  were  a  great 
pleasure  to  her,  and  also  that  she  was  always  glad  to  see 
any  members  of  the  French  Embassy. 

We  got  home  to  tea — and  then  I  had  various  skir- 
mishes with  the  servants.  It  really  is  difficult  to  make 
French  and  English  servants  work  together.  The  butler 
is  an  Englishman,  and  directs  all  the  men  of  the  house. 
It  is  not  easy  to  make  the  Frenchmen  take  their  orders 
from  him.  They  all  want  to  be  in  direct  communication 
with  me.  There  are  always  two  together  in  the  hall — 
one  Frenchman  and  one  Englishman,  and  the  result  of 
that  is  that  when  anything  goes  wrong,  and  the  bell  is 
not  answered,  the  Frenchman  tells  me  he  was  not  there, 
it  was  the  Englishman's  turn;  and  of  course  the  English- 
man the  same — so  now  I  have  told  Holmes  (the  butler) 
to  make  me  out  a  regular  paper  every  Monday  with  the 
men's  names  and  their  hours  of  service — Yves  et  George, 
10-12;  William  and  Charles,  12-2 — I  hope  that  will  work. 


The   Duchess   of    Cambridge. 
From  a  photograph  by  Walery,  I^ondon. 


1884]  MR.   GLADSTONE  i8i 

As  to  Hubert  he  hasn't  driven  me  yet.  He  goes  about 
London  all  day  in  a  brougham,  with  one  of  those  non- 
descript English  servants,  half  French,  half  English,  that 
we  got  from  the  British  Embassy  in  Paris.  I  find  the 
domestic  part  of  the  Embassy  rather  a  bore,  but  I  sup- 
pose things  will  settle  down.  The  housemaids  are  a 
delightful  institution,  though  I  was  amazed  upon  inquir- 
ing one  day  from  my  own  maid  as  to  who  was  a  young 
lady  with  a  red  velvet  dress,  and  a  large  hat  and  feathers, 
I  had  met  on  the  stairs,  when  she  replied,  ''C'est  AHce, 
Madame,  la  seconde  fille  de  chambre."  It  seems  that  my 
maid  remonstrated  with  her  for  spending  her  money  on 
clothes,  to  which  she  replied  that  all  housemaids  in  big 
houses  dressed  like  that,  and  that  she  herself  would  be 
ashamed  if  she  dressed  as  plainly  as  my  maids.  The  two 
thrifty  Frenchwomen  were  scandalised. 

London, 
January  9,  1884. 

I  paid  a  visit  to-day  to  the  Dowager  Lady  Stanley  of 
Alderley.  I  found  her  at  her  tea-table  in  her  drawing- 
room,  with  Mr.  Gladstone  having  his  cup  of  tea  with 
her,  and  talking  easily  and  cheerfully  about  all  sorts  of 
things  (never  a  word  of  poHtics);  no  one  would  have 
imagined  that  he  was  to  make  a  great  speech  that  even- 
ing in  the  House.  He  really  is  an  extraordinary,  many- 
sided  man.  In  the  course  of  conversation  the  talk  fell 
upon  the  Roman  Catholic  religion,  and  its  extension  in 
many  countries,  particularly  in  America.  He  said,  turn- 
ing to  me,  that  a  great  friend  of  his,  an  American,  Mr. 
Hurlbert,  certainly  the  most  brilliant  talker  he  had  ever 
heard,  and  one  of  the  most  intelligent,  had  told  him  how 
much  the  Roman  Catholic  religion  was  gaining  ground 
in  the  Northern  States  of  America.     I  rather  demurred 


1 82    LETTERS   OF  A   DIPLOMAT'S   WIFE     Uan. 

to  his  statement,  even  though  it  came  from  Mr.  Hurl- 
bert.  His  intelligence  and  brilliancy  are  undeniable,  but 
I  should  have  thought  his  views  were  a  little  fantastic  at 
times.  ''I  rather  agree  with  you,"  said  Mr.  Gladstone; 
''but  I  have  recently  had  letters  from  my  friends  Bishop 
P.  of  New  York,  Bishop  A.  of  Massachusetts,  and  other 
distinguished  Churchmen  in  the  United  States,  who  tell 
me  that  the  Roman  Catholic  reHgion  is  making  certain 
progress;  their  preachers  are  so  clever,  and  know  so  well 
how  to  adapt  themselves  to  the  liberal  views  they  must 
have  in  America."  We  then  talked  some  time  about 
the  various  Bishops  and  clergymen  he  knew  in  America, 
the  slight  difference  between  the  two  Prayer  Books,  etc. 
One  would  really  have  thought  it  was  a  Church  of  Eng- 
land clergyman,  who  has  passed  all  his  life  studying 
theological  questions.  A  few  moments  after  something 
turned  his  thoughts  in  another  direction,  and  he  was  dis- 
cussing with  Lady  Stanley  the  translation  into  English 
of  an  Italian  sonnet  which  he  thought  was  badly  done. 
'Too  literal,  really  not  understanding  the  poetry,  and 
the  beautiful  imagination  of  the  writer."  It  was  extra- 
ordinary. I  was  rather  mortified  when  he  asked  if  I 
knew  the  two  Bishops.  I  didn't,  but  it  is  fair  to  say  he 
understood  when  I  said  how  many  years  I  had  been  away 
from  America. 

Lady  Stanley  is  a  delightful  old  lady.  She  has  seen 
and  known  everyone  worth  knowing  in  Europe  for  the 
last  fifty  years,  and  it  is  most  amusing  to  hear  her  down- 
right way  of  talking.  She  was  killing  over  the  "Profes- 
sional Beauties,"  a  style  of  modern  woman  she  couldn't 
understand.  She  asked  me  to  come  in  again  and  have  a 
cup  of  tea  with  her,  and  I  shall  certainly  go,  as  one  doesn't 
hear  such  talk  every  day. 

We  dined  with  Mr.  Childers,  and  there  was  a  big  re- 


1884]  POLITICS    AT    RECEPTIONS  183 

ception  in  the  evening,  with  all  the  celebrities  of  the 
Liberal  party,  the  Harcourts,  Hayters,  Lord  North- 
brook,  Tennyson  (son  of  the  poet),  and  many  others,  but 
of  course  in  a  crowd  like  that  one  can't  talk.  I  hope  I 
shall  remember  the  faces.  About  1 1  o'clock  we  went  on 
to  Lady  Stanhope's,  where  there  was  a  big  reception  of 
the  Conservative  party.  There  I  found  the  Lyttons  and 
some  few  people  I  knew,  and  many  more  were  presented. 
They  were  all  talking  politics  hard;  said  the  Ministry 
couldn't  last  another  week,  as  there  is  to  be  a  vigorous 
attack  on  them  in  both  Houses  on  Tuesday.  Everyone 
says  the  Lyttons  are  going  to  Paris  when  Lord  Lyons 
leaves.  She  will  be  a  charming  Ambassadress,  and  he  is 
so  fond  of  France  and  so  thoroughly  well  up  in  French 
literature  that  they  will  be  delighted  to  have  him  in 
Paris. 

The  political  talk  was  exactly  Hke  what  I  have  heard 
so  often  in  Paris,  only  in  English  instead  of  in  French, 
and  the  men  talking  more  quietly,  though  they  abused 
one  another  well,  and  with  less  gesticulating.  Also  they 
don't  carry  politics  into  private  life  as  they  do  with  us; 
the  men  of  opposite  sides  lavish  abuse  upon  each  other  in 
the  House,  but  there  it  ends,  and  they  meet  at  dinner 
and  chaff  each  other,  and  the  wives  are  perfectly  inti- 
mate. In  France  there  is  a  great  gulf  between  parties, 
even  moderates,  royalists,  and  republicans,  and  I  was 
astounded  when  I  first  mixed  in  political  life  in  France 
to  see  people  in  society  turn  their  backs  upon  some  per- 
fectly distinguished,  honourable  gentleman  because  he 
had  not  the  same  opinion  as  themselves  in  politics. 


1 84    LETTERS   OF  A  DIPLOMAT'S  WIFE     Uan 

To  H.  L,  K. 

Sandringham, 
January  12,  1884. 

We  arrived  this  afternoon  at  two  o'clock,  and  I  am 
writing  in  my  room,  as  we  have  come  up  to  bed,  and  the 
gentlemen  have  retired  to  smoke.  We  came  down  at 
2^,  found  a  saloon  carriage  reserved  for  us,  and  the 
Mohrenheims  installed — father,  mother,  and  daughter. 
We  got  to  Wolverton  at  six,  one  of  the  Prince's  gentle- 
men was  waiting  for  us  with  two  or  three  carriages  and 
footmen.  We  had  all  sent  our  servants  and  baggage  by 
an  earHer  train,  as  it  had  been  suggested  to  us.  The 
house  looked  large  and  handsome  as  we  drove  up.  The 
party  was  assembled  in  a  great  hall,  with  a  long  low  tea- 
table  at  which  the  Princess  presided.  It  was  easy 
enough,  and  I  should  think  a  nice  party.  The  Goschens, 
Lady  Lonsdale,  the  Master  of  Magdalen,  Lord  Carling- 
ford,  and  others.  The  three  young  Princesses,  Prince 
Eddy,  and  the  Prince  were  all  there.  We  talked  some 
little  time  and  then  the  Princess  said  Miss  Knollys  would 
show  us  our  rooms.  I  found  two  large  comfortable 
English  rooms  opening  into  each  other,  a  blazing  coal 
fire  in  mine,  which  I  immediately  proceeded  to  demolish 
as  much  as  I  could.  Miss  Knollys  had  told  us  not  to 
bring  low  dresses — merely  open  bodices. 

We  went  down  to  the  drawing-room  about  8^,  and 
a  little  before  9  the  Prince  and  Princess  and  Prince  Al- 
bert Victor  (better  known  as  Prince  Eddy)  came  in. 
The  dinner  was  handsome  and  pleasant,  footmen  in  royal 
red  liveries,  men  in  black  in  culottes  and  silk  stock- 
ings, and  a  Highlander  in  full  dress,  who  stood  behind 
the  Prince's  chair,  and  at  the  end  of  the  dinner  walked 
solemnly  round  the  table  playing  the  bagpipes.     The 


1884]     HOUSE   PARTY  AT  SANDRINGHAM     185 

evening  was  pleasant.  The  Prince  showed  us  the  new 
ballroom  just  redecorated  with  Indian  stuffs  and  arms, 
and  at  1 1  we  went  upstairs  with  the  Princess,  bidding  her 
good-night  at  the  top  of  the  stairs,  and  the  men  went  to 
the  smoking-room. 

Sunday. 

This  morning  we  went  to  church,  the  ladies  in  an  omni- 
bus with  the  Princess  and  her  three  daughters,  and  the 
gentlemen  walked  across  the  Park,  the  Prince  appear- 
ing as  the  sermon  began.  It  is  a  pretty  English  country 
church  in  the  grounds.  In  the  afternoon  we  walked 
about  the  grounds;  I  was  much  interested  in  the  large 
stables,  where  there  are  certainly  over  fifty  horses. 

We  had  changed  our  dresses  after  lunch  for  walking, 
and  the  Princess  looked  marvellously  young  in  her  short 
walking  skirt  and  little  toque.  One  could  hardly  believe 
she  was  the  mother  of  her  big  son,  twenty-one  years 
old.  After  the  walk  we  assembled  again  in  the  big  hall 
for  tea,  a  substantial  meal  with  every  variety  of  mufilin, 
crumpet, 'toast,  cakes  and  jam  that  can  be  imagined,  but 
it  seemed  quite  natural  to  consume  unlimited  quantities 
after  our  long  walk.  The  Princess  and  English  ladies 
were  in  very  dressy  tea-gowns,  velvet  and  satin  with  lace 
and  embroidery;  Madame  de  Mohrenheim  and  I  in  ordi- 
nary tailor  costumes.  The  evening  was  pleasant;  I  re- 
marked the  absence  of  the  Highland  piper  at  dinner,  and 
asked  the  Prince  if  he  was  not  going  to  play.  "Oh,  no," 
he  said,  ''not  on  Sunday,  he  certainly  wouldn't;  I 
shouldn't  like  to  ask  him  to,  and  if  I  did  I  am  sure  he 
wouldn't  do  it."  We  all  leave  to-morrow,  the  Prince 
going  with  us  to  London.  We  have  enjoyed  our  visit 
very  much,  the  Princess  always  charming  and  lovely 
to  look  at,  and  the  Prince  a  model  host,  so  courteous 
and  ready  to  talk  about  anything. 


1 86    LETTERS   OF  A   DIPLOMAT'S   WIFE    Qan 

Monday. 

We  got  off  this  morning  at  1 1  o'clock.  There  is  one 
curious  custom.  The  Prince  himself  weighs  everyone, 
and  the  name  and  weight  are  written  in  a  book.  Some 
of  the  ladies  protested,  but  it  was  of  no  use,  the  Prince  in- 
sisted. One  young  lady  weighed  more  than  her  father, 
and  was  much  mortified. 

I  went  downstairs  to  breakfast,  which  I  don't  generally 
do;  I  keep  to  my  old  habit  of  a  cup  of  tea  in  my  room. 
It  was  a  most  informal  meal.  None  of  the  Royal  family 
appeared,  except  Prince  Eddy,  who  was  going  to  hunt, 
and  his  red  coat  made  a  nice  patch  of  colour.  All  the 
rest  of  us  sat  down  anywhere,  and  the  servants  brought 
the  menu.  We  travelled  up  with  the  Prince  in  his  pri- 
vate car,  and  had  luncheon  in  the  car,  served  by  two  tall 
footmen,  and  everything  on  silver  plate  and  hot.  The 
Prince  himself  quite  charming,  talking  a  great  deal,  and 
seeing  that  everyone  had  enough  to  eat.  I  should  think 
all  servants,  railway  guards,  and  small  functionaries 
generally  would  adore  him.  He  has  always  a  pleasant 
word  and  a  smile. 


To  H.  L.  K. 

Albert  Gate, 
January  31,  1884. 

We  have  had  two  days  in  the  country  with  the  D.s  at 
their  little  hunting  box  at  Bicester,  one  of  the  great 
hunting  centres.  It  was  my  first  experience  of  an  Eng- 
lish hunt  and  hunt  ball,  and  amused  me  perfectly.  The 
house  is  small,  with  enormous  stables  and  splendid  horses. 
His  four  in  hand  is  well  known,  one  of  the  best  in  Eng- 
land, and  the  coach  and  servants  so  perfectly  turned  out. 


1884]  AN    ENGLISH    HUNT  187 

We  have  two  young  German  secretaries,  good-looking 
Teutons,  and  two  girls  who  have  just  returned  from  a 
four  months'  excursion  in  the  tropics  with  the  Brasseys 
in  their  beautiful  yacht,  the  ''Sunbeam." 

We  started  on  the  coach  on  Tuesday  at  10.30,  well 
wrapped  up,  as  there  were  occasional  showers  and  violent 
gusts  of  wind,  particularly  when  we  stopped  at  cross- 
roads to  see  which  way  the  hunt  was  going.  The  meet' 
was  at  Middleton  Park,  Lord  Jersey's  fine  place,  and  the 
park  was  a  pretty  sight  as  we  drove  up.  A  good  many 
people,  almost  all  the  men  in  pink,  but  not  so  many  wom- 
en as  I  had  expected  to  see.  We  really  followed  very  well, 
as  D.  knows  the  ground  perfectly  and  apparently  at  what 
spot  the  fox  was  to  cross  the  road,  which  he  did  close  to 
us,  followed  by  the  whole  hunt,  all  jumping  out  of  the 
field  on  to  the  road  and  back  again  into  the  other  field, 
very  good  fences,  too,  but  the  horses  evidently  knew  just 
what  they  had  to  do.  We  drove  about  till  3  o'clock,  and 
then  went  back  to  Middleton  to  have  luncheon.  We 
found  a  most  hospitable  table,  and  it  was  funny  to  see 
the  people  dropping  in  at  intervals,  some  of  the  men  in 
their  red  coats,  one  or  two  ladies,  and  two  or  three  chil- 
dren who  had  been  scampering  about  on  ponies.  Evi- 
dently the  meal  had  been  going  on  for  some  time,  and  the 
supply  inexhaustible;  we  had  a  very  good  hot  luncheon. 

After  lunch  Lady  Jersey  (who  is  charming,  very  intel- 
ligent, and  interested  in  everything)  showed  us  the 
house.  Beautiful  pictures  and  old  furniture,  a  massive 
silver  table  that  was  the  dressing  table  of  Queen  Eliza- 
beth. Of  course  we  hadn't  time  to  really  see  all  the 
interesting  things  in  the  house,  as  it  was  getting  late,  and 
we  still  had  a  fair  drive  before  us.  Notwithstanding  the 
good  and  late  luncheon  we  were  very  glad  to  have  tea 
when  we  got  home.     I  certainly  eat  much  more  here,  I 


1 88    LETTERS   OF  A   DIPLOMAT'S   WIFE    [Feb. 

suppose  it  is  the  climate,  and  then  the  food  is  a  little 
different  from  what  we  are  accustomed  to,  and  I  think 
very  good. 

The  hunt  ball  was  really  very  pretty,  the  ballroom 
well  arranged  with  foxes'  heads,  brushes,  etc.,  all  the  men 
in  pink.  Everyone  was  "en  train,"  and  everybody  of  all 
ages  dancing.  I  should  think  W.  and  D.  were  the  only 
men  in  the  room  who  didn't  dance.  They  went  home 
about  12,  but  H.  and  I  stayed  until  2.  We  heard  after- 
ward that  the  Master  of  Hounds  was  much  depressed  all 
the  evening,  as  he  knew  he  must  take  the  French  Am- 
bassadress to  supper  (of  course,  he  didn't  know  that  I 
was  American  born,  and  could  speak  English),  and  the 
prospect  of  a  long  conversation  in  French  with  a  woman 
he  didn't  know  filled  him  with  dismay.  However  we 
made  friends  (in  English),  and  I  hope  he  didn't  find  the 
supper  hour  too  tiresome.  There  are  two  reasons  why 
an  Englishman  hates  to  speak  French;  first,  a  sort  of 
natural  timidity  which  they  all  have  more  or  less,  and 
then  a  decided  objection  to  doing  anything  he  doesn't 
want  to  do,  or  which  bores  him.  This  country  is  cer- 
tainly a  Paradise  for  men,  from  the  nursery  days  when 
all  the  women  of  the  household — nurses,  maids,  and  sis- 
ters, are  slaves  of  the  boys,  to  manhood,  when  equally 
all  the  women  do  exactly  what  the  men  want,  and  regu- 
late their  lives  to  suit  the  men  of  the  family,  who  have 
everything  their  own  way, 

London, 
February,  1884. 

I  made  my  debut  in  the  official  world  last  night  at  a 
reception  at  Mr.  Gladstone's  in  Downing  Street.  There 
were  four  large  men's  dinners  (and  receptions  afterward) 
for  the  opening  of  Parliament.     Lord  Granville  and  Mr. 


i884jA  RECEPTION  AT  MR.   GLADSTONE'S  189 

Gladstone,  Ministerial;  Lord  Salisbury  and  Sir  Stafford 
Northcote,  ''Her  Majesty's  Opposition." 

The  Gladstone  house  is  small  and  dark  (that  is  one 
of  the  things  that  strikes  me  here — the  rooms  are  so 
much  less  lighted  than  in  Paris),  and  always  the  chintz 
covers  left  on  the  furniture,  which  makes  the  rooms  look 
ordinary.  We  found  a  great  many  people  there.  The 
Duke  of  Cambridge  had  been  dining  and  was  presented 
to  us.  He  looks  a  fine  old  English  soldier  (was  in  uni- 
form), was  very  amiable,  and  spoke  to  me  in  French, 
which  he  speaks  very  well.  Quantities  of  people  were 
presented  to  me,  I  can't  remember  half  the  names.  Al- 
most all  the  women  were  in  black,  half-high  and  no  display 
of  jewels.  Mrs.  Gladstone  is  an  old  lady,  very  animated 
and  civil,  she  wears  a  cap,  with  blue  ribbons,  rather  as  I 
remember  Mother.  I  was  also  presented  to  Countess 
Karolyi,  Austrian  Ambassadress,  very  handsome,  and 
charming  manner;  she  speaks  English  as  well  as  I  do.  It 
seems  strange  to  me  to  hear  so  much  English  spoken,  it 
is  so  long  since  I  have  been  in  a  purely  English  salon. 
W.  brought  me  up  various  old  friends  of  Rugby  and 
Cambridge  days;  also  some  of  the  minor  diplomats,  as  of 
course  I  have  not  yet  seen  all  my  colleagues. 

Albert  Gate, 
February,  1884. 

I  am  rather  bewildered  by  the  number  of  people  I  see 
and  the  quantity  of  cards  left  at  the  Embassy.  I  shall 
have  to  ask  an  English  friend  of  mine  to  look  over  my 
list  and  tell  me  who  the  people  are,  and,  above  all,  which 
cards  I  must  return  personally  (or  even  make  a  personal 
visit)  and  which  can  be  distributed  by  the  Chancellerie. 
I  drive  about  every  afternoon  for  two  hours  leaving 
cards,  and  as  no  one  has  regular  reception  days  here  as 


190    LETTERS   OF  A  DIPLOMAT'S   WIFE    [Feb 

in  Paris,  I  rarely  find  people.  We  have  had  various  din- 
ners, political  chiefly,  at  Mr.  Gladstone's,  Lord  Stan- 
hope's, Lord  Northbrook's,  a  child's  party  at  Marl- 
borough House,  which  was  very  pretty.  Francis  made 
great  friends  with  the  two  charming  little  daughters  of 
the  Duchess  of  Edinburgh,  and  sat  between  them  at  tea, 
the  Duchess  herself  supplying  them  with  cakes  and  sand- 
wiches. 

Yesterday  there  was  a  pleasant  dinner  at  Lord  Gran- 
ville's. Two  tables  of  12;  one  presided  over  by  him  and 
one  by  Lady  Granville.  Her  table  was  covered  with  red 
tulips,  and  his  with  yellow — nothing  but  flowers  on  the 
table.  The  drawing-rooms  are  large  and  handsome,  and 
he  has  some  splendid  pictures.  One  thing  seems  curious 
to  me — all  the  furniture  at  this  season  is  covered  with 
ordinary  chintz  housses  or  coverings — and  the  effect  is 
strange  with  all  the  guests  in  full  dress,  diamonds  and 
orders,  servants  in  powder  and  breeches.  We  would 
never  dream  of  doing  it  in  Paris.  When  we  have  dis- 
tinguished people  of  any  kind  to  dine  we  make  our 
salons  as  pretty  as  possible,  and  would  want  particularly 
to  uncover  our  handsome  furniture.  Here  it  seems  they 
consider  that  the  season  only  begins  after  Easter. 

Apropos  of  powder,  it  was  rather  an  affair  to  put  the 
two  French  footmen  in  powder,  as  they  of  course  had 
never  worn  it  or  seen  it.  Francis  was  much  excited  at 
Yves'  appearance  in  blue  velvet  breeches  and  powder, 
Yves  being  a  young  Breton,  his  own  special  attendant. 
I  think  the  maids  powdered  him  in  the  laundry.  How- 
ever Francis  came  flying  downstairs  holding  the  reluc- 
tant Yves  by  the  hand,  to  my  room,  saying,  "Oh, 
Maman,  viens  voir  Yves,  il  est  joli,  joli !"  with  the  youth 
naturally  much  abashed  at  being  so  complimented  in  my 
presence. 


i884]  COMMANDED    TO    WINDSOR  191 

To  H.  L.  K. 

February  29,  1884. 
We  are  commanded  to  Windsor  this  evening  to  dine 
and  sleep.  It  is  inconvenient,  as  we  have  to  put  off  a  din- 
ner of  twenty-one  people.  The  chef  is  tearing  his  hair,  as 
of  course  all  his  dinner  is  ready.  When  my  maid  came  to 
pack  the  trunks  she  had  rather  a  flustered  look;  I  thought 
it  was  on  account  of  the  Windsor  visit.  Not  at  all.  It 
seems  a  friend  of  Juteau's  (our  chef),  who  is  also  a  chef  in 
one  of  the  great  houses,  heard  that  we  were  going  to 
Windsor,  so  he  wrote  him  a  note  telling  him  that  his  wife 
(my  maid)  must  be  well  dressed  and  take  a  low  or  open 
bodice  to  Windsor  for  their  dinner.  The  maid  was  most 
indignant  for  being  supposed  not  to  know  what  was  right, 
and  answered  the  note  saying,  "she  had  accompanied  her 
mistress  to  every  court  in  Europe,  and  knew  quite  well 
how  to  dress  herself." 

Windsor  Castle, 
March  i,  1884. 

Our  dinner  last  night  went  off  very  well,  and  was  not 
so  stiff  as  I  had  expected.  We  took  the  6  o'clock  train 
from  Paddington,  and  found  the  Russian  Ambassador, 
Baron  Mohrenheim,  and  his  wife  at  the  station.  At 
Windsor  two  or  three  carriages  and  footmen  were  wait- 
ing, but  no  equerry  as  at  Sandringham.  We  were  driven 
to  a  side  door  at  the  Castle,  where  two  servants  in  plain 
black  were  waiting,  who  showed  us  at  once  to  our  rooms. 
We  had  a  pretty  apartment  furnished  in  yellow  satin,  with 
beautiful  pictures,  principally  portraits;  a  small  salon  with 
a  bedroom  on  each  side,  bright  fires  burning,  and  a  quan- 
tity of  candles.  They  brought  us  tea,  beautifully  served 
all  on  silver,  with  thin  bread  and  butter  (no  muffins  or 
toast),  and  almost  at  the  same  moment  Sir  John  Cowell, 


192  LETTERS   OF  A  DIPLOMAT'S   WIFE  [March 

Master  of  the  Household,  came  to  pay  us  a  visit.  He 
told  us  who  the  party  was,  said  dinner  was  at  8.45,  that  a 
page  would  come  and  tell  us  at  8.30,  and  that  we  should 
assemble  in  the  great  corridor.  Quite  punctually  at  8.30 
they  notified  us,  and  we  proceeded  down  the  long  corri- 
dor, W.  in  black  breeches  and  stockings  (no  order,  as 
he  hadn't  the  Legion  d'Honneur,  and  couldn't  wear  a 
foreign  order),  I  in  white  brocaded  velvet  and  diamonds. 
We  found  the  party  assembled,  the  Mohrenheims;  Lord 
and  Lady  Kimberley;  Nigra,  Italian  Ambassador;  Lady 
Churchill  (who  was  in  waiting)  ;  Lord  Kenmare  (Lord 
Chamberlain),  and  Lord  Dalhousie  (Lord  in  waiting) 
and  one  or  two  other  men.  We  moved  up  to  a  door  just 
opposite  the  dining-room,  and  about  9  the  Queen  came 
with  the  Duchess  of  Edinburgh  and  Princess  Beatrice. 
She  shook  hands  with  me  and  Madame  Mohrenheim; 
bowed  very  graciously  to  all  the  others,  and  passed  at 
once  into  the  dining-room  alone.  Mohrenheim  followed 
with  the  Duchess  of  Edinburgh;  Nigra  with  Princess 
Beatrice;  W.  with  Madame  Mohrenheim;  and  Kimber- 
ley took  me.  The  table  was  handsome,  covered  with 
gold  and  silver  plate,  quantities  of  servants  in  red  livery, 
plain  black,  and  two  Highlanders  in  costume  behind  the 
Queen's  chair. 

The  conversation  was  not  very  animated.  The  Queen 
herself  spoke  little,  and  the  English  not  at  all — or  so  low 
that  one  couldn't  understand  them — however,  my  Am- 
bassador couldn't  stand  that  long,  so  he  began  talking 
most  cheerfully  to  the  Duchess  of  Edinburgh  about  Mos- 
cow, Kertch,  and  antiquities  of  various  kinds,  and  as  the 
Duchess  is  clever  and  inclined  to  talk,  that  corner  became 
more  lively.  I  can't  say  as  much  for  our  end.  I  think 
most  Englishmen  are  naturally  shy,  and  the  presence  of 
Royalty  (the  Queen  above  all)  paralyses  them. 


1884]  THE    QUEEN'S    CERCLE  193 

After  dinner,  which  was  quickly  served,  we  all  went 
out  as  we  had  come  in,  and  the  Queen  held  a  short  cercle 
in  the  corridor,  in  the  small  space  between  the  two  doors. 
She  stood  a  few  minutes  talking  to  the  two  Princesses, 
while  she  had  her  coffee  •  (which  was  brought  for  her 
alone  on  a  small  tray),  and  then  crossed  over  to  Madame 
Mohrenheim  and  talked  a  little.  She  sat  down  almost 
immediately,  Madame  Mohrenheim  remaining  standing. 
She  then  sent  for  me.  Lord  Dalhousie  summoning  us  all 
in  turn.  She  was  very  gracious,  saying  that  she  could  not 
yet  stand  or  walk,  which  worried  her  very  much — asked 
me  a  great  deal  about  my  life  in  London,  did  I  find  every- 
thing very  different  from  Paris,  and  had  I  found  little 
friends  and  a  school  for  Francis?  The  conversation  was 
not  easy.  She  sat  on  rather  a  low  chair,  and  I  standing 
before  her  had  to  bend  down  always.  She  was  dressed  in 
black,  with  her  usual  little  cap  and  veil,  opal  necklace, 
diamonds  and  orders.  While  she  was  talking  to  the 
others  the  two  Princesses  moved  about  and  talked  to  us. 
It  was  pleasant — the  whole  cercle  lasted  about  an  hour. 
The  Queen  and  Princesses  retired  together,  all  shaking 
hands  with  me  and  Madame  Mohrenheim,  and  bowing  to 
the  others.  We  finished  the  evening  in  the  drawing- 
room  with  the  household,  staying  there  about  half  an 
hour,  and  a  little  after  eleven  we  broke  up.  W.  has  gone 
off  to  smoke — at  the  extreme  end  of  the  Castle,  as  the 
Queen  hates  smoke  and  perhaps  doesn't  know  that  any- 
one dares  smoke  here — and  I  am  writing  with  about 
twelve  tall  wax  candles  on  my  table. 

It  is  a  bright  moonHght  night,  and  the  Castle  looks 
enormous.  A  great  mass  of  towers,  vaulted  gateways, 
walled  courts,  and  the  beautiful  grass  slopes  that  look 
quite  green  in  the  moonlight.  The  lights  at  the  far  end 
seem  like  twinkling  tapers.  It  is  certainly  a  magnificent 
Royal  residence. 


194  LETTERS   OF  A  DIPLOMAT'S   WIFE    [Mar. 

Saturday,  March  1884. 
We  got  back  for  lunch,  leaving  the  Castle  at  10.30. 
We  breakfasted  with  the  household  at  9.30;  no  cere- 
mony, people  coming  in  as  they  liked,  and  sitting  down 
anywhere.  We  loitered  a  little  in  the  corridor  until  it 
was  time  to  start,  looking  at  the  pictures,  portraits,  and 
the  curious  cabinets  and  the  bits  of  old  furniture  which 
are  interesting. 

To  H,  L.  K, 

Albert  Gate, 
March  14,  1884. 

To-day  was  our  first  Drawing-room,  and  we  turned  out 
in  great  force,  I  had  three  secretaries'  wives.  We  had 
out  our  two  carriages.  W.  and  I  in  the  gala  carriage 
with  Count  de  Florian,  Secretary  of  Embassy,  Hubert 
driving  us,  and  two  English  giants  behind;  then  came 
the  landau  with  merely  one  footman  on  the  box,  all 
in  full  dress  livery,  blue  breeches,  silk  stockings,  and 
powdered  wigs.  There  was  a  great  display  of  troops, 
and  a  crowd  waiting  on  the  pavement  outside  the  door 
at  the  Embassy  to  see  us  start.  There  are  no  porte- 
cocheres  in  London,  so  you  go  straight  out  into  the 
street  to  get  your  carriages,  and  a  carpet  is  kept  in  the 
hall,  which  is  rolled  down  the  steps  every  time  you  go 
out.  The  streets  were  crowded  as  we  came  near  Buck- 
ingham Palace. 

We  entered  the  Palace  by  a  side  entrance,  leaving  our 
wraps  in  one  of  the  rooms,  and  went  up  the  great  stair- 
case, which  was  a  pretty  sight.  Quantities  of  plants  and 
flowers  and  a  long  procession  of  women  with  handsome 
Court  dresses,  splendid  tiaras,  and  a  few  men  in  uniform 
— of  course  women  preponderate.  We  walked  through 
various  rooms  all  filled  with  Court  functionaries,  officers 


1884]  A    DRAWING-ROOM  195 

in  uniform,  and  finally  arrived  in  the  large  salon  open- 
ing into  the  Throne-Room  where  all  the  Corps  Diplo- 
matique and  English  people  who  had  the  entree  were 
assembled.  Countess  Granville,  wife  of  the  Foreign 
Secretary,  Earl  Granville,  looked  most  distinguished, 
tall  and  fair,  in  black  with  a  handsome  tiara.  Countess 
Karolyi,  Austrian  Ambassadress,  was  beautiful  in  her 
Hungarian  costume  and  splendid  jewels.  The  Russians 
also  most  picturesque  in  their  national  court  dress,  red 
velvet  trains  heavily  embroidered  in  gold,  white  veils 
spangled  with  gold,  and  the  high  head-dress  (kakoshnik) 
in  velvet  studded  with  jewels. 

When  the  doors  were  opened  the  Foreign  Secretary 
and  his  wife  passed  first  and  took  up  their  station  close 
beside  the  Princess  of  Wales,  to  name  the  members  of 
the  Corps  Diplomatique.  Then  the  Master  of  Cere- 
monies gave  his  hand  to  the  Doyenne — the  Austrian 
Ambassadress — her  train  was  spread  out  by  two  pages, 
— and  they  entered  the  Throne-Room,  making  low  bows 
or  curtseys  on  the  threshold.  One  makes  3  curtseys;  one 
on  entering  the  room,  one  half  way  and  a  third  as  one 
gets  close  to  the  Princess.  We  followed  quickly,  I  with 
my  ladies  coming  directly  behind  the  Russians.  The 
Court  was  small — Princess  of  Wales,  Princess  Beatrice, 
Prince  of  Wales  and  Duke  of  Cambridge.  The  Princess, 
a  charming  graceful  figure  dressed  in  dark  velvet  with 
coloured  embroideries  and  jewels  and  orders;  Princess 
Beatrice  in  mauve,  and  the  two  Princes  in  uniform  of 
English  Field  Marshal.  The  Princesses  shook  hands 
with  us  chefesses  and  bowed  to  the  young  ladies — the 
Princes  the  same.  There  was  no  sort  of  trouble  about 
the  train;  they  are  down  only  for  a  moment,  just  as  you 
pass  the  Queen  or  Princess — a  chamberlain  picks  them 
up  most  adroitly,  puts  them  in  your  arm,  and  one  never 


196  LETTERS   OF  A  DIPLOMAT'S   WIFE    |Mail 

gives  them  a  thought.  As  soon  as  we  had  passed  the 
group  of  Princes  we  turned  into  a  deep  window  recess 
and  stood  there  until  the  end.  That  was  most  amusing, 
as  we  faced  the  door  and  saw  everyone  come  in.  It 
amused  and  interested  me  extremely  to  see  how  differ- 
ently people  passed.  Most  of  the  women  looked  well, 
their  fresh,  fair  skins  standing  the  test — and  a  pretty 
severe  one  it  is — of  full  dress,  white  feathers  and  veil  at 
three  in  the  afternoon  of  a  cold  March  day.  Many  had 
been  dressed  since  12,  first  sitting  a  long  time  in  their 
carriages,  and  then  w^aiting  a  long  time  in  the  drawing- 
room  at  the  Palace,  until  their  turns  came.  They  were 
generally  timid  and  nervous  when  they  passed — some 
bracing  themselves  as  if  they  were  facing  a  terrible  ordeal, 
some  racing  past  very  quickly,  forgetting  to  take  their 
trains  in  their  arms,  and  pursued  down  the  room  by  an 
impatient  chamberlain,  and  some,  especially  the  debu- 
tantes, making  carefully  and  conscientiously  the  low 
regulation  curtsey  to  each  Prince,  and  trembhng  with 
shyness.  When  the  last  person  had  passed  the  Court 
turned  and  made  us  bows  and  curtseys — the  Princess' 
half  curtsey  is  charming — and  it  was  over.  We  all  got 
away  quickly. 

The  great  hall  was  an  interesting  sight,  filled  with 
women  and  uniforms  of  every  kind,  and  a  band  playing 
in  the  great  square.  We  had  the  usual  ''Drawing-room 
tea"  to  show  our  dresses.  I  wore  the  blue  embroidered 
Court  dress  I  had  made  for  Moscow,  with  blue  feathers 
and  diamond  tiara.  All  the  English  women  wear  white 
feathers  and  veils,  which  naturally  does  not  suit  every- 
one, particularly  if  they  are  not  well  put  on.  Some  of 
the  coififures  were  almost  eccentric,  one  rather  high 
feather,  and  a  long  one  very  low  running  down  one's 
back.     The  young  men  were  pleased,  as  they  had  many 


1884]  THE   DERBY  197 

compliments  for  our  carriages  and  liveries.     We  were  the 
only  Embassy  that  had  out  two  carriages. 

To  G.  K.  S, 

London, 
May,  1884. 

We  went  to  the  Derby  this  morning  with  Lord  Cork. 
I  had  never  been,  and  W.  not  for  many  years.  We  went 
down  by  train — (special,  with  the  Prince  and  racing  co- 
terie) and  I  enjoyed  the  day.  We  were  in  the  Jockey 
Club  box,  and  it  was  a  curiosity  to  see  the  crowd  on  the 
lawn,  packed  tight,  and  every  description  of  person,  all 
engrossed  with  the  race,  and  wildly  interested  in  the 
horses.  There  was  almost  a  solemn  silence  just  before 
the  Derby  was  run.  This  time  there  was  a  tie,  which 
is  rare,  I  believe.  It  was  rather  amusing  driving  home 
from  Victoria,  as  all  the  balconies  along  the  road  were 
decorated,  and  crowded  with  people,  but  I  believe  the 
great  fashion  of  driving  down  had  almost  disappeared. 
Nearly  everyone  now  goes  down  by  train. 

London, 
June  28,  1884. 

This  morning  H.  and  I  went  to  the  second  meet  of  the 
Coaching  Club  on  D.'s  coach.  It  was  a  pretty  sight;  a 
bright  beautiful  morning  and  Hyde  Park  crowded  with 
equipages,  riders,  and  pedestrians — quantities  of  pretty 
women  all  much  dressed,  principally  in  white,  with  hats 
trimmed  with  flowers,  and  light  parasols.  The  tops  of 
the  coaches  looked  like  flower  beds.  Everyone  en- 
grossed with  the  teams,  criticising  and  admiring  with 
perfect  frankness.  The  fly-drivers  were  killing,  knew 
all  the  horses,  and  expressed  themselves  freely  on  the  way 
they  were  handled. 

We  drove  through  the  Park,  and  then  on  to  Richmond 


198    LETTERS   OF  A  DIPLOMAT'S   WIFE    [July 

(not  all  the  coaches),  where  we  breakfasted  at  the  ''Star 
and  Garter."  The  breakfast  was  good,  and  at  dessert  we 
had  "Maids  of  Honour,"  the  famous  cakes  that  one  always 
gets  there.  We  walked  about  the  Park  a  little  after 
breakfast;  it  was  delightful  under  the  big  trees,  and  then 
mounted  our  coach  again  and  went  back  by  Hurlingham 
to  see  a  polo  match.  The  road  was  crowded  and  driving 
very  difficult,  but  D.  is  a  capital  whip,  and  I  wasn't  in  the 
least  nervous,  though  sometimes  it  did  seem  as  if  the 
bit  of  road  they  left  us  was  rather  narrow.  However  D. 
drove  straight  on  without  slackening — and  they  do  make 
way  for  a  coach.  I  think  it  is  a  sort  of  national  pride  in 
a  fine  team. 

Hurlingham  is  very  pretty  and  there  were  quantities 
of  people  there.  We  saw  very  well  from  the  top  of  the 
coach,  and  I  must  say  the  game  was  beautifully  played. 
Of  course  the  men  all  rode  perfectly,  but  the  ponies  were 
so  clever,  quite  as  keen  as  the  riders,  and  seemed  to  know 
all  about  it.  We  got  back  to  the  Embassy  about  8,  and 
happily  had  no  one  to  dinner,  but  sat  on  the  balcony  all 
the  evening,  W.  smoking,  and  talking  about  his  confer- 
ence, which  is  not  going  smoothly.  The  English  are 
stiff,  and  the  people  at  home  unreasonable.  I  can't  im- 
agine how  French  and  English  can  ever  work  together 
— they  are  so  absolutely  unlike. 

London,  July,  1884. 

W.  went  to  Paris  this  morning  and  H.  and  I  are  left 
to  our  own  devices.  I  dined  alone  at  the  Speaker's  and 
it  was  pleasant.  After  dinner  we  went  down  to  the 
terrace  and  walked  and  sat  about.  It  was  so  warm 
that  we  all  sat  there  with  bare  arms  and  necks.  It  was  so 
pretty;  boats  passing  on  the  river,  all  the  bridges  lighted, 
and  so  cool  and  dark  on  the  terrace  that  one  could 


M.    and   Mme.    Waddington   and   Their  Son. 
From  a  photograph  by  Cesar,  Paris. 


1884]  THE    MURDER    OF    GORDON  199 

hardly  recognise  the  people  as  they  walked  up  and  down. 
I  went  back  to  the  Embassy  to  get  H.,  and  we  went  to 
Devonshire  House,  where  there  was  a  big  reception^ 
all  the  world  there,  and  the  house  very  handsome,  a  fine 
staircase;  Lord  Hartington  receiving  us,  as  the  Duke  is 
an  old  man  and  couldn't  stand  the  fatigue. 

To  G,  K.  S, 

Albert  Gate, 
February  9,  1885. 

This  morning  we  have  the  news  of  the  fall  of  Khar- 
toum and  the  murder  of  Gordon.  W.  is  in  the  country 
trying  horses,  so  I  put  on  my  hat  and  went  out  into  the 
Row  to  hear  what  was  going  on.  It  was  crowded  with 
people  talking  and  gesticulating.  The  Conservatives 
furious,  "such  a  ministry  a  disgrace  to  the  country,"  and 
a  tall  man  on  a  handsome  chestnut,  talking  to  Admiral 
C.  most  energetically,  "I  am  a  moderate  man  myself,  but 
I  would  willingly  give  a  hand  to  hang  Gladstone  on  this 
tree."    They  are  much  disgusted — and  with  reason. 

Monday,  February  23,  1885. 
It  seems  to  be  my  week.  Dear  Gertrude,  so  I  will  at 
any  rate  begin  this  morning.  We  are  now  in  full  tide 
of  dinners  and  routs,  which  last  is  the  most  frightful  spe- 
cies of  entertainment  that  the  human  mind  has  ever  de- 
vised. They  consist  of  400  or  500  people  packed  close 
in  a  house  which  holds  about  150 — so  warm  in  the  rooms 
that  you  almost  stifle — and  so  cold  on  the  staircase  and 
halls  where  the  door  is  always  open  wide  that  I  always 
wonder  how  I  can  escape  without  a  fluxion  de  poitrine. 
We  had  a  banquet  ourselves  last  Tuesday,  Harcourts 
Miinsters,  Corks,  etc.,  followed  by  a  mild  dance,  which 
was  however  successful,  as  Pourtales,  who  is  a  gay  little 


200    LETTERS   OF  A   DIPLOMAT'S   WIFE    [Feb. 

fellow,  led  a  spirited  cotillon,  and  there  were  22  couples. 
I  performed  2  quadrilles,  which,  naturally,  is  the  extent  of 
my  dancing  now,  unless  I  take  a  stray  turn  with  an  old 
partner. 

Of  course  the  great  excitement  has  been  the  departure 
of  the  Guards  for  Egypt,  as  it  takes  the  husbands,  sons, 
and  brothers  of  half  London  away.  It  does  seem  such  a 
useless  campaign  and  sacrifice  of  human  Hfe. 

There  was  a  child's  party  at  Marlborough  House  on 
Friday  afternoon  which  was  very  successful.  Mimi  and 
I  were  bidden,  or  commanded,  as  the  correct  phrase  is, 
at  4  o'clock,  so  we  took  ourselves  off,  he  in  his  white 
sailor  suit,  with  blue  collar,  and  I  in  blue  velvet.  Both 
Prince  and  Princess  were  very  amiable,  and  the  Duchess 
of  Edinburgh  was  very  good  to  Mimi,  as  she  always  is, 
making  him  sit  by  her  daughters  to  see  the  conjuror,  and 
at  her  table  for  tea.  The  children  had  their  tea  in 
the  dining-room,  with  a  great  many  little  round  tables, 
we  had  ours  with  the  Princess.  It  is  very  informal,  she 
always  makes  it  herself,  and  everyone  sits  down.  The 
Princess  Louise  was  also  there,  looking  very  nice,  and 
such  a  pretty  figure.  After  the  tea  the  children  had  a 
fine  romp,  ending  with  a  most  animated  Sir  Roger  de 
Coverley,  in  which  all  the  Princes — I  mean  the  2  young- 
er ones.  Prince  Eddy  and  Prince  George — joined,  and 
all  the  Aides-de-Camp.  We  didn't  leave  till  7 — and  the 
afternoon  was  rather  long,  but  still  I  must  say  I  enjoyed 
myself. 

Yesterday  we  had  a  pleasant  dinner  at  Lady  Hayter's 
— a  Liberal  political  salon.  She  has  big  dinners — recep- 
tions every  Saturday.  It  was  pleasant  at  first,  until  many 
more  people  came  than  the  house  would  hold,  but  that  is 
what  the  ''Maitresse  de  Maison"  particularly  aims  at. 
Everyone  here  sympathises  with  Lowell  on  the  death 


i88s]     LORD  SALISBURY  AS  A  SPEAKER     201 

of  his  wife.  She  was  so  very  peculiar.  I  wrote  him  a 
little  note,  as  he  was  always  very  amiable  to  me  and  com- 
plimentary about  Father  and  Grandpa.  This  evening 
we  had  a  dinner  at  Julia,  Lady  Tweeddale's,  who  is 
chaperoning  her  niece,  Sir  Robert  Peel's  daughter. 

Tuesday. 
I  couldn't  finish  last  evening,  so  take  up  my  let- 
ter now  at  7  o'clock,  while  I  am  waiting  to  dress  for 
dinner.  It  is  a  quiet  dinner  at  the  Miss  Monks' — two 
cousins,  maiden  ladies — and  I  shall  wear  a  high  dress, 
which  is  much  easier  to  get  into.  Our  dinner  last 
night  was  pleasant  and  swell — Duke  and  Duchess  of 
Leeds,  Lord  and  Lady  Delawarr,  Lord  and  Lady  Claud 
Hamilton  (she  a  beauty,  with  a  fine  figure;  he  an 
attractive  Irishman,  son  of  the  Duke  of  Abercorn)  and 
others.  They  danced  afterwards,  and  we  stayed  till  12 
o'clock.  The  pose  of  the  fast  young  married  set  is  not 
to  dance.  There  is  no  one  to  dance  with,  the  Guards 
are  gone.  The  Row  was  lovely  this  morning,  like  a 
May  day,  everybody  out.  I  hope  to  begin  to  ride  again 
next  week.  I  am  in  treaty  for  a  very  handsome  chest- 
nut, if  the  man  will  come  down  a  little  in  his  price. 

Albert  Gate, 
February  25,  1885. 

We  have  been  to-day  to  the  House  of  Lords  to  hear 
Lord  Salisbury  speak  and  the  vote  of  censure  passed. 
The  House  was  full — the  Prince  and  Duke  of  Cambridge 
there.  Lord  Salisbury  spoke  well;  very  calm,  very  nasty 
for  his  adversaries,  and  as  he  had  the  beau  role  he  was 
much  applauded.  The  defence  was  weak,  the  orator 
feeling  evidently  that  his  cause  was  a  bad  one,  and  the 
temper  of  the  House  against  him.    I  should  think  Lord 


202  LETTERS   OF  A   DIPLOMAT'S   WIFE     [Mar. 

Salisbury  would  be  a  most  unpleasant  adversary,  though 
always  perfectly  courteous  in  manner. 


To  J.  K. 

Ambassade  de  France  A  Londres, 
Monday,  March  9,  1885. 

This  is  my  week  again.  Dear  Jan,  and  I  will  begin  to- 
day. 

We  are  going  on  in  a  wildjy  dissipated  manner.  Last 
week  was  very  full.  We  went  to  a  very  pretty  ball  given 
by  the  Artillery  Company  of  London  to  the  Prince  and 
Princess.  The  Duke  of  Portland,  a  young  fellow,  is 
colonel  of  the  regiment,  and  the  thing  was  very  well 
done.  Both  Prince  and  Princess  danced  several  times. 
The  supper  was  very  pretty.  When  it  was  ready  every- 
body made  a  line  all  down  the  ballroom,  and  then 
the  procession,  with  the  Princess  first  and  the  Duke  of 
Portland,  then  the  Prince  with  me  and  various  other 
Princes  and  swells,  walked  down  the  long  room,  the  band 
playing  the  ''British  Grenadiers,"  and  all  the  people  bow- 
ing and  curtseying.  The  Royal  party  supped  on  a  plat- 
form and  there  were  1,000  people  seated  at  supper  at 
long  narrow  tables,  everyone  looking  hard  at  the  Prin- 
cess. 

Thursday,  12th. 
I  never  got  any  further  and  never  have  had  time  since, 
but  I  will  begin  this  morning  and  finish  my  letter  this 
evening.  To-day  is  the  first  Drawing-room  of  the  sea- 
son. As  Countess  Karolyi  doesn't  come,  I  am  the 
Doyenne,  and  shall  have  to  go  in  first,  led  by  Sir  Fran- 
cis Seymour.  Mr.  Lowell  has  asked  me  to  take  his 
presentation.      However   there   is   only    Bessie   V.    R., 


1885]  FRENCH  ARTISTS  203 

Eugene's  daughter,  who  is  pleased  at  being  presented 
by  an  Ambassadress.  She  will  also  see  the  Diplomatic 
Corps  pass.  I  wish  Jess  were  here,  and  so  does 
Adelaide,  who  would  be  so  delighted  to  dress  her. 
Last  night  we  had  a  very  pleasant  dinner  at  Lady 
Jersey's.  Such  a  handsome  woman  was  there,  the  young 
Duchess  of  Montrose.  After  dinner  we  went  to  the 
Speaker's  reception,  which  was  crowded,  but  rather 
amusing — such  funny  looking  people  and  such  dresses. 
I  am  overrun  with  artists.  There  are  several  French 
artists  of  all  kinds  here,  and  I  must  make  them  play 
once,  so  I  have  decided  upon  next  Friday  afternoon.  It 
is  my  day  and  I  shall  invite  all  the  musical  and  entertain- 
ing people  I  know,  as  of  course  they  all  wish  to  be 
heard.  One  girl  really  does  play  very  well  on  the  violin, 
and  wants  me  very  much  to  sing  with  her  accompani- 
ment, which,  naturally,  I  shan't,  and  another  sings,  not 
very  remarkably,  and  a  third,  Marie  Dubois,  plays  really 
beautifully — premier  prix  du  Conservatoire.  I  will  write 
you  all  about  it  when  it  is  over. 

7  o'clock. 
Well,  we  have  performed  the  Drawing-room — it  was 
short,  not  more  than  an  hour  and  a  quarter,  and  I  must 
say  very  few  pretty  faces  or  pretty  dresses — Bessie  V.  R. 
looked  very  well,  very  distinguished.  She  followed  di- 
rectly behind  me — even  in  front  of  my  secretaries'  wives, 
and  was  the  third  lady  in  the  room.  There  were  quite  a 
lot  of  Princes — Prince  and  Princess  of  Wales,  Prince 
Waldemar  of  Denmark,  Duke  and  Duchess  of  Edin- 
burgh, Duke  of  Cambridge  and  Prince  Edward  of  Saxe- 
Weimar.  Mme.  de  Bylandt,  wife  of  the  Dutch  Minister, 
presented  Mme.  and  Mile,  de  Brenen,  Dutch  ladies,  both 
mother  and  daughter  handsome  and  well  dressed.     The 


204    LETTERS   OF  A  DIPLOMAT'S   WIFE  [Mar. 

Princess  looked  charming  in  white  and  gold.  The  Duch- 
ess of  Edinburgh  had  a  dark  green  velvet  train.  We 
all  came  back  here  to  tea  and  had  various  visitors  to 
look  at  the  dresses,  including  Baron  Pawel-Rammingen, 
husband  of  Princess  Frederica  of  Hanover,  who  also 
happened  in  and  was  much  amused  at  finding  such  an 
etalage  of  trains — happily  we  have  nothing  this  evening. 
Next  week  is  the  marriage  of  the  Duke  of  B.'s  daughter. 
It  is  to  be  at  Westminster  Abbey  and  very  swell,  the 
Prince  and  Princess  going.  There  is  to  be  a  party 
Tuesday  night,  where  all  her  jewels  are  to  be  shown, 
which  they  say  are  splendid.  I  am  sorry  not  to  go,  but 
we  have  a  dinner  and  a  dance  ourselves.  I  shall  go  to 
the  wedding.  She  is  small  and  quiet — rather  shy.  I 
don't  know  whether  one  of  those  mysterious  changes 
will  take  place  which  one  sees  sometimes  after  marriage 
— coronets  and  trains  do  a  great  deal.  I  must  finish, 
as  I  have  of  course  several  notes  to  answer.  I  hate  it 
so,  when  people  wait  for  answers.  I  suppose  I  shall 
have  a  fine  account  of  the  Inauguration  from  Gertrude. 
I  hope  the  girls  have  enjoyed  it. 

To  G.  K.  S, 

London, 
March  12,  1885. 

I  went  yesterday  to  say  good-bye  to  Lady  R.  They 
are  leaving  for  Bombay,  where  he  is  named  Governor. 
It  is  for  five  years;  I  think  I  should  be  unwilling  to  go 
so  far,  and  to  such  a  trying  climate,  but  she  seems  plucky 
enough  and  will  certainly  do  well. 

Francis  and  I  were  driving  up  Constitution  Hill  yes- 
terday just  as  the  Queen  arrived,  so  we  had  a  very  good 
look  at  her.  She  was  in  an  open  carriage  with  Princess 
Beatrice  and   her  fiance.  Prince  Henry  of  Battenberg 


i88s]  AT    WESTMINSTER    ABBEY  205 

(such  a  handsome  man),  and  the  usual  escort  of  Life- 
Guards.  She  recognised  me  perfectly,  and  always  has  a 
gracious  bow  and  smile.  Just  before  she  came  one  of  our 
English  friends  who  was  walking  about  with  her  daugh- 
ter (a  young  girl  who  had  never  seen  the  Queen)  sud- 
denly spied  me  (as  mine  was  the  only  carriage  that  was 
allowed  to  stand)  and  asked  me  if  she  and  her  daughter 
could  get  into  the  carriage  with  me,  as  that  would  be  such 
a  good  chance  for  the  girl  to  see  the  Queen.  I  of  course 
was  delighted  to  have  them,  as  Francis  and  I  were  alone, 
and  the  girl  saw  perfectly.  So  many  English  people,  ex- 
cept those  who  go  to  Drawing- Rooms,  never  get  a  chance 
to  see  the  Queen  at  all. 

Sunday,  March. 

We  have  been  to  Church  this  morning  at  Westminster 
Abbey,  such  a  magnificent  service.  The  Dean  always 
gives  us  seats,  and  I  love  the  music,  the  boys  sing  very 
well,  and  the  hymns  are  grand  as  they  echo  through  the 
fine  old  church.  In  every  direction  there  is  some  his- 
torical souvenir;  tombs,  old  glass  windows,  tattered  flags, 
crests, — all  England's  past.  We  walked  home  through 
Green  Park,  and  it  is  curious  to  notice  the  absence 
of  equipages — so  many  English  people  don't  take  out 
their  carriages  on  Sunday  (to  rest  the  horses  and  let  the 
servants  go  to  church),  again  such  a  striking  contrast  to 
Paris,  where  every  kind  of  conveyance  is  out  on  that  day. 
I  think  of  the  little  grocer  near  H.  who  goes  out  every 
Sunday  as  soon  as  it  is  at  all  warm  with  his  whole  family 
and  2  or  3  dogs  in  his  little  covered  cart.  All  the 
''Societe"  is  out  also;  at  the  big  concerts,  reviews,  races, 
etc.     Sunday  is  the  great  Parisian  holiday. 

This  morning  before  starting  I  had  my  head  out  of 
the  window  on  the  other  side  of  the  Embassy,  looking 


2o6    LETTERS   OF  A   DIPLOMAT'S   WIFE  [Mar. 

at  the  Guards  pass  on  their  way  to  the  Httle  church  just 
behind  the  Embassy  in  Knightsbridge.  They  came 
down  from  the  barracks  at  a  swinging  pace,  a  fine  body 
of  men,  the  sergeants  with  their  canes,  and  several  offi- 
cers. The  band,  a  very  good  one,  plays  all  the  time  (to- 
day they  marched  to  the  French  tune  "Le  Pere  Victoire") , 
and  takes  up  its  station,  always  playing,  at  the  door  of 
the  church.  They  play  until  the  last  man  files  in,  then 
suddenly  the  music  stops,  and  the  band  goes  in  also.  It 
always  interests  the  French  servants  immensely,  the  two 
maids  had  their  heads  out  too,  and  said  to  me  just  now, 
"Cest  bien  beau,  Madame,  quel  dommage  que  cela  ne 
se  passe  pas  comme  cela  chez  nous."  The  service  in  the 
Guards'  Chapel  at  Wellington  Barracks  is  also  a  fine  one, 
the  chapel  filled  with  soldiers,  a  mass  of  red  (as  one  sees 
only  their  tunics),  and  the  singing  very  good — a  little 
loud  sometimes  when  it  is  a  favourite  hymn  and  all 
join  in. 

To  H,  L  K. 

Albert  Gate, 
March  13,  1885. 

We  have  had  our  second  "Drawing-room"  to-day,  and 
were  asked  to  come  in  ''demi-deuil,"  as  it  was  the  first 
time  the  Queen  had  received  any  of  the  Corps  Diplo- 
matique since  the  Duke  of  Albany's  death.  There  are 
always  more  people  when  the  Queen  holds  the  Drawing- 
room,  as  it  is  the  only  chance  so  many  of  her  subjects 
ever  have  of  seeing  her.  She  rarely  comes  to  London, 
and  stays  only  two  or  three  days.  She  was  dressed  with 
her  little  closed  diamond  crown,  the  blue  ribbon  of  the 
Garter,  and  many  diamonds.  L  thought  the  black  be* 
coming  generally. 


1885]         THE    UNIVERSITY    BOAT    RACE       207 

March  i6th. 

At  our  dinner  to-day  at  Lord  A/s  Mr.  Campbell  was 
next  to  me,  and  told  me  he  was  most  anxious  to  be  re- 
called to  the  French  Ambassador,  that  he  had  been  his 
fag  at  Rugby,  and  had  never  seen  him  since.  Of  course 
they  made  acquaintance  again  after  dinner,  and  plunged 
into  all  sorts  of  recollections  of  their  school  days.  The 
other  men  who  were  smoking  with  them  said  the  talk  was 
most  interesting  and  curious,  as  their  careers  in  after  life 
had  been  so  very  different.  At  every  turn  W.  finds 
someone  who  had  been  at  Rugby  or  Cambridge  with 
him. 

To  H.  L,  K. 

April  9,  1885. 

This  morning  it  is  pouring,  so  I  gave  up  the  Oxford 
and  Cambridge  boat  race.  W.  and  Count  de  Florian 
started  all  with  light  blue  rosettes  (Cambridge).  W. 
was  on  the  umpire  boat.  Cambridge  won  easily,  which 
was  of  course  a  great  pleasure  to  him  (having  rowed 
himself  so  many  years  ago  in  the  Cambridge  crew), 
in  the  evening.  He  said  he  was  so  much  cheered  when 
he  got  up  to  speak — young  men  standing  on  chairs  to 
see  him — that  he  had  to  wait  some  time  before  he  could 
begin.  He  is  certainly  the  only  foreign  Ambassador  that 
ever  rowed  in  the  Cambridge  eight.  He  was  quite  pleased 
when  he  came  home,  so  many  old  memories  of  happy 
boyish  days  had  been  brought  back.  We  talked  for 
some  time  after  dinner,  and  recalled  all  sorts  of  Cam- 
bridge experiences — once  when  the  Queen  came  with 
Prince  Albert  to  Cambridge  the  students  were  all  as- 
sembled in  the  court-yard  as  her  carriage  drove  up.  It 
had  been  raining,  and  the  Queen  hesitated  a  moment  in 
getting  out,  as  the  ground  was  Wet  and  there  was  mud. 


2o8    LETTERS   OF  A  DIPLOMAT'S    WIFE    [Apr. 

Instantly  W.  had  his  gown  off  and  on  the  ground,  the 
others  followed  his  example,  and  she  walked  over  a  carpet 
of  silk  gowns  the  few  steps  she  had  to  make.  W.  said  he 
had  never  forgotten  her  smile  as  she  bowed  and  thanked 
them. 

ToJ.K. 

The  Garth,  Bicester, 
Sunday,  April  19,  1885. 

I  believe  this  is  my  week.  Dear  Jan.  I  am  staying 
here  at  a  queer  little  hunting  box  in  Oxfordshire  with 
Hilda  Deichmann  (nee  de  Bunsen).  It  is  literally  an 
enormous  stable,  with  a  cottage  attached,  but  they  have 
added  a  story  and  wings  and  it  is  the  most  wonder- 
ful-looking place,  very  low — but  comfortable.  W.  went 
off  to  Paris  Sunday,  and  I  came  down  here  last  Saturday 
with  Mimi.  He  is  very  fond  of  the  children — a  big  boy 
of  II  and  a  girl  of  7 — and  has  enjoyed  himself  thor- 
oughly. We  feel  awfully  cut  up  at  Pontecoulant's  death. 
He  has  been  such  a  good  friend  to  us,  and  so  completely 
associated  with  all  our  political  life.  It  seems  incred- 
ible that  a  strong  man  should  be  carried  off  like  that  in 
4  days  from  a  cold.  Henrietta  will  miss  him  awfully,  as, 
now  that  we  are  so  much  away  he  was  always  there  and 
attending  to  anything  she  wanted  done. 

Of  course  everyone  Is  talking  and  speculating  about 
the  Anglo-Russian  question.  W.  thinks  the  English 
must  fight,  and  that  they  will.  I  think  this  government, 
with  Gladstone  at  its  head,  will  never  make  up  their  minds 
to  fight  seriously  or  in  time,  judging  from  the  way  the 
Soudan  campaign  has  been  conducted. 

We  have  been  driving  all  over  the  country,  which  is 
charming,  flat,  but  all  grass  (Oxfordshire  is  a  regular 
hunting  country),  and  since  three  days  the  weather  has 


1885J  BLENHEIM  209 

been  enchanting.  Yesterday  we  made  a  lovely  ex- 
cursion to  Blenheim  on  Deichmann's  coach.  We  picked 
up  2  neighbours,  nice,  pretty  English  girls,  and  had  a 
beautiful  drive  over  the  downs.  Mimi  had  never  been  on 
a  coach  before,  and  was  in  a  wild  state  of  dehght  when 
all  four  horses  galloped  up  the  hills,  and  they  blew  the 
horns  at  all  the  railway  stations  and  passing  thro'  the 
villages.  I  had  forgotten  how  magnificent  Blenheim  was. 
The  house  is  rather  dismantled,  as  the  present  Duke  has 
sold  all  the  books  and  some  of  the  handsomest  pictures, 
but  there  are  plenty  left — Van  Dycks,  Rubens,  etc.,  and 
the  rooms  and  halls  are  splendid.  There  were  lots  of 
portraits  of  the  Dukes  and  Duchesses,  from  the  great 
Duke  down,  some  curiously  like  the  present  Church- 
ills,  particularly  the  women.  When  we  had  finished 
sauntering  through  the  house,  we  drove  about  the  park 
looking  for  a  shady  place  to  lunch,  and  then  established 
olirselves;  the  horses  were  taken  out,  the  lunch  basket 
ojDened,  and  we  had  a  very  good  lunch  on  the  top  of  the 
coach.  We  drove  back  through  Woodstock  and 
stopped  for  tea  at  Dashwood  Park,  one  of  the  great 
places  of  the  country.  They  gave  us  tea,  with  every 
variety  of  toast,  cake,  and  bread  that  can  be  imagined, 
in  a  beautiful  room  as  large  as  a  church,  opening 
on  a  stone  terrace,  and  the  most  lovely  (English) 
views  of  grass  meadows  and  trees,  stretching  miles 
away.  There  were  quantities  of  family  portraits  there, 
too,  but  we  hadn*t  time  to  see  them.  We  got  home  at 
7  o'clock,  rather  exhausted,  but  having  had  a  lovely 
day. 

I  began  my  letter  this  morning  before  breakfast  and 
will  finish  it  now.  The  children  are  off  to  the  woods  with 
the  German  tutor  after  primroses,  but  it  is  too  warm 
for  us — so  we  shall  take  a  walk  after  tea.     I  am  very 


210    LETTERS  OF  A  DIPLOMAT'S  WIFE     [May 

fond  of  Hilda  Deichmann.  She  is  very  clever — knows 
a  great  many  things — draws  well,  paints  well,  is  a  good 
musician,  and  is  womanly  and  practical.  We  fraternised 
from  the  first  moment.  We  are  going  back  to  London 
to-morrow  afternoon.  Mimi's  school  begins  on  Tues- 
day, and  I  think  he  has  had  a  good  outing  for  the  pres- 
ent. I  haven't  an  idea  what  we  shall  do  this  winter. 
Perhaps  when  W.  comes  back  he  will  have  some  plans. 
With  this  new  Ministry,  it  is  difficult  to  make  any.  I 
am  so  afraid  of  their  proposing  some  beastly  measure, 
like  the  exile  of  the  Orleans  Princes,  or  something  of 
that  kind  to  be  popular  before  the  election.  The  Wales' 
visit  to  Ireland  seems  to  be  progressing  most  delightfully 
and  much  more  quietly  than  people  thought.  He  has 
such  wonderful  charm  of  manner.  I  should  think  per- 
sonal contact  with  him  would  always  work  wonders.  I 
must  stop  now  or  my  letter  will  not  go  this  afternoon. 


To  G.  K.  S. 

May  6,  1885. 
We  had  yesterday  a  typical  London  Season  evening. 
We  dined  at  Lady  Vivian's — a  large,  handsome  dinner, 
everybody  rather  in  a  hurry  to  get  away,  as  there  were 
two  big  parties;  Lady  Derby's  in  St.  James's  Place,  and 
Lady  Salisbury's  in  Arlington  Street.  We  drove  down 
Piccadilly  with  much  difficulty,  getting  along  very  slowly 
in  spite  of  our  *'white  card,"  but  finally  did  arrive  at  Lady 
Derby's.  The  staircase  was  a  mass  of  people  struggling 
to  get  in,  an  orchestra  playing,  and  about  1,200  people 
in  rooms  that  would  hold  comfortably  about  half.  Of 
course  on  such  occasions  one  doesn't  talk.  We  spoke 
to  our  host  and  hostess,  were  carried  on  by  the  crowd, 


1885]  TWO    RECEPTIONS  211 

made  the  tour  of  the  rooms  and  got  down  again  with 
much  waiting  and  jostling,  as  there  were  two  currents 
coming  and  going.  However,  we  did  finally  get  our  car- 
riage, and  then  with  many  stops  and  very  slowly,  got  to 
Arlington  Streef,  where  apparently  the  same  people  were 
struggling  on  the  staircase,  the  same  orchestra  playing, 
and  just  as  big  a  crowd  (I  should  think  the  whole  Con- 
servative party),  for  though  the  house  is  larger  they  had 
invited  more  people,  so  the  result  was  practically  the 
same.  We  did  exactly  the  same  thing,  exchanged  a  few 
words  with  Lady  Salisbury,  made  the  tour,  and  came 
home.  We  were  two  hours  performing  these  two  re- 
ceptions, but  I  suppose  it  was  right  to  do  it  once.  How- 
ever, the  English  certainly  enjoy  the  sight,  and  don't 
mind  the  waiting.  Lady  Jersey,  who  is  a  grandmother, 
told  me  this  afternoon  she  had  bored  herself  to  death 
last  night.  "Why  did  you  go?"  I  said,  "you  must  know 
these  big  political  parties  by  heart."  "Oh,  I  Hke  the 
parties,"  she  said;  "only  I  didn't  get  to  either,"  and  then 
she  explained  her  evening.  She  started  alone  in  her  car- 
riage at  10  o'clock  for  Lady  Derby's,  was  kept  waiting 
an  interminable  time  in  Piccadilly,  and  when  she  finally 
did  reach  Lady  Derby's  door,  a  friendly  link-man  ad- 
vised her  not  to  go  in  as  everybody  was  coming  away, 
and  she  would  never  get  up  the  stairs,  so  she  turned  back 
and  proceeded  to  Arlington  Street.  She  had  the  same 
crowd,  the  same  long  wait,  and  when  she  arrived  at  Lady 
Salisbury's  the  party  was  over,  and  no  one  could  possibly 
get  in.  It  was  then  midnight,  and  she  drove  home,  hav- 
ing passed  her  whole  evening  since  10  o'clock  alone  in 
her  brougham  in  Piccadilly. 


212    LETTERS   OF  A  DIPLOMATS  WIFE    [Mav 


May  9,  1885. 
This  afternoon  we  have  had  a  conference  "sur  Racine" 
in  the  big  drawing-room.  A  good  many  people  came 
and  apparently  listened,  and  I  hope  it  may  do  the  young 
lady  good.  Mile,  de  B.  wishes  to  get  up  classes  of 
French  literature  for  ladies,  but  I  hardly  think  it  will 
succeed  here  in  the  season;  on  a  bright  day  no  one  will 
shut  herself  up  in  a  smallish  room  to  hear  about  Racine, 
Moliere,  etc.  I  was  amused  by  one  of  our  colleagues 
whom  I  invited.  He  refused  promptly,  "he  really 
couldn't  do  that  even  for  me.  He  hadn't  thought  about 
Racine  since  he  left  school,  and  hadn't  felt  it  a  blank  in 
his  life."  Mile,  de  B.  did  it  very  well;  she  sat  on  a  little 
platform  with  a  table  in  front  of  her,  and  all  the  swells  in 
red  and  gilt  arm-chairs  facing  her,  and  looking  at  her 
hard.  She  was  a  little  nervous  at  first,  but  soon  got  over 
that,  and  her  language  was  good  and  well  chosen,  she 
knew  her  subject  perfectly,  and  spoke  in  a  pretty  clear 
voice.    This  was  the  invitation : — 

MADAME   WADDINGTON 

SERA    CHEZ    ELLE 

le  Samedi,  9  Mai,  2  a  4  heures, 

Mile,  de  Bury  lira  une  etude  de  critique  Utteraire  sur  Raciney  son 
milieUy  et  sa  tragedie  de  Berenice, 

Do  you  think  it  would  have  tempted  you?     I  am  afraid 
Schuyler  wouldn't  have  come. 


1885]  IN    THE    ROW  213 

To  H.  L.  K, 

London, 
May,  1885. 

We  are  having  most  beautiful  weather,  Dear,  and  our 
morning  rides  are  delightful.  If  only  the  Park  was  a 
little  bigger.  We  always  get  a  good  gallop  on  the  other 
side  by  the  Marble  Arch,  but  it  is  small,  and  one  goes 
round  and  round.  When  I  ride  with  W.  we  generally 
make  three  or  four  turns  as  fast  as  we  can  go,  he  hates 
to  dawdle.  When  I  ride  with  the  military  attache,  or 
some  other  friends,  we  do  the  Row,  and  amble  up  and 
down,  talking  to  the  people  walking  as  well  as  the  riders. 
The  children  always  delight  in  scampering  along  on  their 
ponies,  and  they  certainly  begin  young.  A  friend  of 
ours,  who  has  a  nice  sturdy  boy  of  about  six,  was  won- 
dering whether  he  should  begin  with  his  child  on  a  nar- 
row pony,  thinking  he  was  still  rather  young,  so  he  con- 
sulted Lady  P.,  a  beautiful  rider,  and  an  authority  on  all 
matters  connected  with  riding.  "You  mustn't  begin  too 
early  with  boys,"  she  said;  ''one  must  be  careful;  I  never 
put  any  boy  of  mine  on  a  horse  until  he  was  two  years 
old." 

May  13th. 
To-day  we  have  had  a  very  long  Drawing-room  held 
by  the  Queen,  which  of  course  attracts  everyone.  She 
rarely  stays  more  than  an  hour,  just  long  enough  to  re- 
ceive the  Corps  Diplomatique  and  the  people  who  have 
the  entree.  The  Queen  looked  very  well,  merely  shook 
hands  with  me,  but  talked  some  little  time  to  W.,  said 
she  had  enjoyed  her  stay  at  Aix-les-Bains  so  much,  and 
that  everything  had  been  done  to  make  her  comfortable. 
I  watched  her  while  she  was  talking  and  I  never  saw 


214    LETTERS   OF  A   DIPLOMAT'S  WIFE    [May 

a  smile  make  such  a  difference  in  a  face.  Hers  is  quite 
beautiful  and  lights  up  her  whole  face.  It  was  tiring 
to-day — unending.  Lord  R.  told  me  there  were  400 
presentations,  and  at  the  end  said  about  1,200  people 
had  passed.  They  say  the  Queen  is  sometimes  made  sick 
by  the  quantity  of  people  curtseying  before  her — the 
constant  movement  of  the  people  bending  down  and  ris- 
ing has  the  same  effect  upon  her  as  the  waters  of  the 
sea.     I  can  understand  it. 

The  long  Drawing-room  to-day  was  a  god-send  to 
Lady  A., — one  of  Lord  C.'s  daughters.  She  is  a  "de- 
butante," had  a  very  pretty  new  dress,  and  was  much  ex- 
cited over  her  presentation,  had  started  very  early  with 
her  mother  so  as  to  see  the  Queen  (who  stays  only  a 
short  hour).  The  early  start  and  the  long  waiting  in  the 
row  of  carriages  and  also  the  ante-room,  exhausted  her 
absolutely.  She  was  sick  and  faint;  they  did  all  they 
could,  brought  her  brandy,  put  her  near  an  open  win- 
dow— nothing  did  any  good.  She  had  to  retire  from  the 
room,  go  downstairs,  have  her  dress  cut  open  (there  was 
a  knot  in  the  lace  and  they  couldn't  unlace  her  bodice), 
and  remained  extended  on  a  sofa  in  the  hall — train,  veil, 
feathers,  all  in  a  heap.  After  a  rest  of  two  hours,  and  a 
cup  of  tea  (procured  with  great  difficulty,  as  there  is  no 
buffet  on  these  occasions)  she  felt  better,  and  her  mother 
hearing  from  a  friend  upstairs,  who  was  ''de  service,"  that 
the  Drawing-room  was  still  going  on,  was  most  anxious 
that  the  girl  should  pass,  so  they  arranged  her  veil,  hair, 
and  feathers  as  well  as  they  could,  tied  the  bodice  of  her 
dress,  and  filled  in  the  intervals  with  some  bits  of  tulle 
cut  from  her  veil.  She  passed,  and  I  don't  believe  any- 
one noticed  anything  wrong  with  her  dress,  and  she  was 
so  thankful  not  to  have  to  go  through  that  long  waiting 
again.     It  is  a  most  fatiguing  day  for  those  who  haven't 


1885]  HATFIELD    HOUSE  215 

the  entree,  as  they  must  sit  so  long  in  their  carriages  in 
the  file. 

Hatfield,  May  30th. 

We  came  down  yesterday  to  this  most  beautiful  old 
place.  A  large  Elizabethan  castle,  standing  rather  high, 
with  courts  and  terraces  in  every  direction.  We  found 
Lady  Salisbury  at  her  tea-table  on  the  terrace  with  a 
lovely  view  of  park  and  woods  on  all  sides.  Various 
members  of  the  family  and  house-party  sauntered  up, 
some  of  the  young  ladies  in  their  habits,  having  been 
riding;  and  some  guests  having  walked  up  from  the 
station,  which  is  quite  near  at  the  end  of  the  Park. 
After  an  hour's  talk  Lady  Salisbury  took  me  to  my 
room  (miles  away  through  the  long  hall  and  up  a 
great  staircase),  and  told  me  dinner  was  "easy  8." 
The  room  is  large,  all  panelled  in  oak  which  has  be- 
come almost  black  with  age,  an  enormous  bed  (they 
have  always  had  their  sheets  made  especially  for  these 
beds  for  more  than  200  years,  in  Germany  I  think,  as  no 
ordinary  sheets  could  cover  more  than  half).  The  beds 
are  very  long  and  almost  square.  They  would  easily 
hold  Brigham  Young  and  all  his  wives.  Do  you  remem- 
ber the  picture  in  Mark  Twain?  Mine  was  so  high  I  had 
to  take  a  footstool  to  clamber  into  it.  W.'s  room,  next, 
about  the  same.  We  went  downstairs  at  8.10  and  cer- 
tainly didn't  dine  until  after  8^.  We  were  about  30  in 
the  great  dining-room,  a  splendid  hall  with  portraits  of 
Queen  Elizabeth  (one  in  fancy  dress,  most  curious  with 
bright  red  hair),  Henry  VHI,  Mary  Queen  of  Scots,  etc. 
We  played  cards  in  the  evening  and  broke  up  rather 
early.  This  morning  Lady  Salisbury  showed  me  the 
house — most  interesting,  full  of  treasures  and  memories, 
a  great  library  with  all  sorts  of  letters  from  the  time  of 
Elizabeth,  and  in  the  drawing-room  a  vitrine  filled  with 


2i6    LETTERS  OF  A  DIPLOMAT'S  WIFE  Qunb 

relics  of  the  "Virgin  Queen."  It  was  curious  to  see  her 
gloves,  shoes,  hat.  I  think  Lady  Salisbury  was  some- 
what surprised  at  my  interest  in  these  last  things,  but 
I  told  her  she  must  make  allowances  for  the  American, 
who  was  not  accustomed  to  old  family  traditions  and 
souvenirs  of  that  kind.  When  I  think  of  our  Revolution, 
then  it  seems  ages  ago  to  me.  We  enjoyed  our  visit 
extremely,  they  are  all  so  nice  and  simple. 

We  got  back  to  London  this  morning  and  of  course 
dined  out  somewhere.  I  was  amused  by  one  of  the  ladies 
saying  to  me  after  dinner,  ''Did  you  really  enjoy  your 
visit  to  Hatfield?  Aren't  they  all  of ;Ta<//^w//3;  clever?"  I 
don't  think  I  should  have  applied  the  same  adverb,  but 
clever  they  certainly  are.  Lord  Salisbury  has  such  a 
fine,  thoughtful  face. 

To  H.  L.  K, 

June,  1885. 
We  went  to  Ascot  this  morning,  a  beautiful  day,  and 
the  lawn  like  a  flower  garden  with  all  the  women  in  their 
light  dresses  dotted  about.  We  lunched  with  the  Prince 
and  Princess  of  Wales.  The  Maharajah  of  Johore  was 
there,  and  had  brought  down  his  own  cook,  attired  in 
yellow  satin  with  a  large  flat  hat  on  his  head.  He  made 
a  sort  of  curry  for  his  master,  which  everybody  tasted — 
except  me — I  don't  like  culinary  experiments,  and  I 
think  the  yellow  satin  garments  didn't  inspire  me  with 
confidence.  I  told  Juteau  when  he  came  up  for  orders 
just  now  how  far  below  the  mark  he  was  as  to  costume. 

June  29th. 
I  went  this  afternoon  with  Francis  to  Lord  Aberdeen's, 
where  they  had  a  hay-making  party.    They  have  a  pretty 
little  cottage,  or  rather  a  small  farm  about  an  hour's 


1885]  A    COURT    CONCERT  217 

drive  from  London.  There  were  plenty  of  people,  and 
all  sorts  of  amusements  for  the  children;  Punch  and 
Judy,  lawn-tennis,  and  two  tea-tables  on  the  lawn. 
After  tea  they  all  rushed  down  a  steep  hill  to  a  field 
where  there  were  quantities  of  little  heaps  of  hay,  and 
harmless  wooden  pitchforks.  They  had  a  fine  time  roll- 
ing and  tumbling  about  in  the  hay  and  making  hay- 
stacks. Then  a  cow  appeared  on  the  scene,  dressed 
with  flowers  and  ribbons,  and  the  maids  made  syllabub 
on  the  spot,  which  the  children  enjoyed  immensely. 

June  30th,  1885. 
We  dined  at  Lady  Molesworth's  with  the  Due  d'Au- 
male,  who  is  always  charming,  and  makes  everything 
easy,  as  there  are  always  bothering  little  questions  of 
official  etiquette  with  non-reigning  Princes.  He  is  a 
fine  type  of  the  soldier-prince.  It  seems  hard  that  a  man 
of  his  intelligence  and  education  shouldn't  play  a  great 
part  in  his  own  country. 

Albert  Gate, 
July,  1885. 

We  had  the  Court  concert  this  evening.  The  Due 
d'Aumale  was  there,  looking  so  well  and  so  royal.  He 
is  always  charming  to  us,  and  we  were  very  proud  of  our 
French  Prince.  H.  came  with  us  and  enjoyed  herself 
extremely.  The  entrance  of  the  Court  amused  her  very 
much,  the  two  tall  Chamberlains  with  their  wands  walk- 
ing backwards.  She  says  she  never  saw  anything  so 
pretty  as  the  curtsey  the  Princess  of  Wales  made  to  the 
assembled  company  as  soon  as  she  got  into  the  room. 
What  always  appeals  in  some  sort  of  way  to  our  irrever- 
e^nt  American  minds  is  the  singing  of  the  "God  Save  the 
Queen,"  all  the  company,  including  Prince  and  Princess, 
i^ising  and  standing. 


2i8    LETTERS  OF  A  DIPLOMAT'S  WIFE    [July 

To  J.  K. 

Chevening,  Sevenoaks, 
Sunday,  July  27,  1885. 

I  will  begin  my  letter  here  to-day,  Dear  Jan,  from  the 
Stanhopes'  place,  where  we  came  last  evening  to  spend 
Sunday.  It  was  awfully  hot  yesterday.  I  almost  died 
on  the  way  from  London  down,  fortunately  it  was  only 
an  hour.  We  are  a  party  of  14 — Lord  and  Lady  John 
Manners,  Lord  Derby  and  his  step-daughter.  Lady  Mar- 
garet Cecil,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Edward  Stanhope,  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Jeune,  Lord  Boston,  a  nice  young  fellow,  and  a  Mr. 
Praed,  a  riding  man,  who  has  travelled  everywhere.  We 
had  tea  on  the  terrace  overlooking  a  lovely  garden  and 
lake,  and  dined  at  8.  After  dinner  we  sat  on  the  terrace, 
and  it  was  charming,  a  beautiful  full  moon,  and  not  a 
breath  of  air.  Friday  we  had  the  closing  festivity  of  the 
season  at  Marlborough  House.  A  beautiful  ball  it 
was,  about  600  people,  all  the  creme  de  la  societe 
and  beautiful  dresses  and  jewels.  I  wore  my  pink 
and  green  Moscow  dress  (my  Russian  garments  have 
done  me  good  serv'ice  this  year),  and  it  was  much 
admired.  All  the  Battenberg  family  were  there  in 
great  force,  and  I  renewed  acquaintance  with  the 
Prince  of  Bulgaria,  whom  I  used  to  know.  They 
had  covered  in  a  great  part  of  the  garden,  and  the  room 
was  beautifully  arranged  with  the  Prince's  Indian  carpets 
and  arms.  The  supper  room,  also  built  out  in  the  gar- 
den, was  so  pretty — a  collection  of  small  round  tables  for 
8  or  10  persons,  with  flowers  and  handsome  silver. 
Prince  Albert  Victor  took  me  in,  and  I  had  a  young 
Battenberg  next.  Neither  Phelps  nor  Harry  White  was 
there,  on  account  of  Grant's  death,  which  I  thought 
very  nice  of  them.     I  danced  once  or  twice  after  supper, 


i885]  A    COUNTRY    HOUSE    PARTY  219 

and  we  came  away  at  2.  I  hear  they  kept  it  up  until  5, 
having  begun  at  11.  There  is  a  reception  at  Lady  Salis- 
bury's on  Tuesday,  which  will  be  really  the  end  of  all 
things,  and  purely  political,  as  all  the  swells  go  off  to 
Goodwood  Monday. 

11.30. 
We  have  just  come  upstairs  after  a  very  hot  day.  I 
didn't  go  to  church,  as  I  knew  I  could  not  stand  the  heat, 
and  talked  a  little  and  read  very  happily  in  the  big  draw- 
ing-room till  luncheon.  Lady  Stanhope  took  me  over 
the  house,  which  is  not  very  large,  but  interesting.  There 
is  a  charming  library  full  of  books  and  manuscripts  and 
letters,  some  from  Lord  Chesterfield  to  his  son,  written 
in  French,  and  beginning  "Mon  cher  ami,  comment  vont 
les  graces  et  les  manieres."  After  luncheon,  we  sat 
out  under  the  lime  trees,  and  after  tea  I  made  a  little 
tournee  with  Lord  Stanhope  and  prowled  about  the  park, 
and  went  also  to  the  church,  where  there  are  several 
interesting  monuments.  This  evening  we  have  been 
sitting  again  on  the  terrace,  quite  delicious.  I  in  my 
white  dress,  with  nothing  on  my  shoulders. 

London, 
Tuesday,  28th. 

We  got  back  yesterday  at  2  o'clock  and  the  weather 
has  changed  to-day.  It  was  very  hot  all  day  yesterday. 
I  spent  the  afternoon  on  my  sofa  until  6.30,  when 
we  went  for  a  ride  and  met  the  few  last  people  who 
are  still  here.  Last  night  we  discussed  our  summer 
plans,  and  I  shall  go  over  to  France  on  Saturday 
with  Francis,  stay  three  or  four  days  in  Paris,  and 
then  go  down  to  St.  L^ger.  It  is  curious  how  London 
is  suddenly  empty.  There  were  not  5  carriages  in  the 
park  yesterday.     This  morning  I  have  been  careering 


220    LETTERS  OF  A  DIPLOMAT'S  WIFE    [Dec. 

about  the  stable-yard  trying  a  new  habit.  They  are  so 
difficult  to  make  in  these  days,  so  tight  that  the  least 
change  of  saddle  makes  them  go  every  way  but  the  right 
one.  I  don't  know  if  I  wrote  after  the  Harwoods 
lunched  with  us.  W.  was  much  pleased  with  them  and 
found  them  a  most  attractive  family.  The  girls  are 
charming,  so  pretty  and  simple.  I  must  stop,  as  Holmes 
(the  English  butler)  is  waiting  for  me  to  tell  him  all 
sorts  of  final  arrangements  before  we  start. 


To  G.  K.  S. 

Albert  Gate, 
November  9,  1885. 

The  young  King  of  Spain  is  dead.  The  Ambassador, 
M.  de  Casa  La  Iglesia,  was  to  have  dined  with  us.  He 
sent  a  note  at  5.30  saying  that  he  must  give  up  the 
pleasure  of  dining  with  us  for  a  "bien  penible  raison,"  but 
without  saying  what  it  was — so  one  of  the  secretaries 
went  of¥  "aux  informations"  and  came  back  with  the 
news  that  the  King  was  dead.  Poor  young  fellow,  his 
reign  was  short. 

December  5  th. 
We  had  a  service  at  the  Spanish  chapel  in  Manchester 
Square  for  the  King  of  Spain.  All  the  Diplomats  and 
official  world  there.  It  was  very  long — all  the  ladies 
were  in  black — Comtesse  Karolyi  (Austrian  Ambassa- 
dress) and  Comtesse  de  Bylandt  (wife  of  the  Dutch  Min- 
ister) in  crepe,  long  veils.  They  told  me  I  was  not  at 
all  correct,  that  a  crepe  veil  was  ''de  rigueur"  for 
crowned  heads.  I  thought  I  was  all  right  in  black 
velvet,  a  tulle  veil,  and  black  gloves  (in  fact  was  rather 
pleased  with  my  get-up),  but  the  ladies  were  very  stern. 


«88S3  A   LONDON    FOG  22J 

London, 
December  15,  1885. 

I  wish  you  were  here  this  morning,  Dear,  as  the  Em- 
bassy is  a  curiosity — might  just  as  well  be  in  Kam- 
tchatka  as  far  as  the  outside  world  is  concerned — for 
nothing  exists  beyond  the  walls  of  the  house.  When 
they  drew  back  my  curtains  this  morning  I  couldn't  really 
think  for  a  moment  where  I  was.  Adelaide  had  a  lighted 
candle  in  her  hand  (it  was  8.30  o'clock  in  the  morning) 
and  I  thought  my  window  panes  had  been  painted  a  dirty 
yellow  in  the  night.  However  it  was  only  a  yellow  Lon- 
don fog;  I  could  Hterally  see  nothing  when  I  went  to  the 
window.  It  has  lightened  now  a  little,  but  we  have  had 
lamps  for  breakfast,  and  I  am  writing  with  my  candles ! 
The  big  shops  opposite  are  all  lighted,  and  one  sees  little 
glimmers  of  light  through  the  fog.  I  can't  see  across 
the  street.  The  fog  gets  into  everything — was  quite 
thick  and  perceptible  in  the  hall  when  we  went  down  to 
breakfast.  The  coachman  has  been  in  and  said  he 
couldn't  take  out  his  horses,  not  even  with  a  link-boy 
running  alongside,  so  let  us  hope  it  will  brighten  up  a 
little  in  the  course  of  the  afternoon. 

December  i6th. 

The  fog  did  lift  about  4;  but  the  day  was  trying  and 
the  traces  most  evident  the  next  day,  as  everything  in 
the  house  was  filthy — all  the  silver  candlesticks  and  little 
silver  ornaments  that  are  on  the  tables;  the  white  cur- 
tains— in  fact  everything  one  touched.  I  should  think 
laundresses  would  make  their  fortune  in  London.  My 
maid  came  to  my  room  about  3  o'clock,  just  as  I  was 
going  out,  with  her  apron  really  black  with  smuts.  I 
said,  ''What  in  the  world  have  you  been  doing,  cleaning 
the  chimneys  ?"  "Non,  Madame,  je  n'ai  fait  que  travailler 
chez  Madame  et  dans  la  lingerie;  j'ai  voulu  montrer  mon 


222    LETTERS  OF  A  DIPLOMAT'S  WIFE    [Dec 

tablier  a  Madame,  c'est  le  troisieme  que  je  mets  depuis 
ce  matin     ...      !" 

December  17,  1885. 

Yesterday  I  made  an  excursion  to  the  city  with  Hilda 
Deichmann  and  her  husband  to  buy  things  for  our  Christ- 
mas trees.  It  was  most  amusing  ransacking  in  all  the 
big  wholesale  houses,  and  reminded  me  of  my  childish 
days  and  similar  expeditions  to  Maiden  Lane.  There 
is  so  much  always  in  England  that  recalls  early  days.  I 
think  it  is  not  only  the  language,  but  the  education 
and  way  of  living  are  the  same.  We  have  read  the  same 
books  and  sung  the  same  hymns,  and  understand  things 
in  the  same  way.  Our  shopping  was  most  successful. 
All  the  prettiest  things  come  from  the  German  shops. 
The  ginger-bread  animals  were  wonderful, — some  horses 
and  dogs  with  gilt  tails  and  ears  most  effective.  The 
decorations  were  really  very  pretty — the  stars  and  angels 
quite  charming.  When  we  had  finished  our  shopping 
Deichmann  took  us  to  Pym's,  a  celebrated  oyster  cellar, 
to  lunch.  A  funny  little  place  well  known  to  all  City 
people.     We  had  a  capital  lunch — all  oysters. 

This  afternoon  we  have  been  playing,  8  hands,  two 
pianos,  which  was  interesting.  Two  of  our  colleagues, 
Princess  Ghika,  Roumanian  Legation,  and  Countess  de 
Bylandt,  Dutch,  are  excellent  musicians.  They  lead,  and 
Hilda  and  I  follow  as  well  as  we  can.  I  am  the  least 
good,  but  I  manage  to  get  along,  and  of  course  when- 
ever I  know  the  music  my  ear  helps  me.  We  have  two 
fine  Erard  grand  pianos  in  the  drawing-room,  which  is 
large,  and  fairly  light  for  London.  I  was  much  tempted 
by  a  beautiful  Steinway  piano,  but  thought  it  right  at  the 
French  Embassy  to  have  Erards,  which  are  of  course  fine 
instruments.     I  fancy  Steinway  is  more  brilliant,  but  I 


I88S1  A    FAREWELL    DINNER  223 

think  we  make  noise  enough,  particularly  when  we  are 
playing  Wagner — the  Kaiser  March  for  instance. 

December  23d. 
It  was  not  very  cold  this  morning,  so  I  tried  the 
new  horse,  and  he  went  very  well.  I  have  had  a  thick 
hunting  habit  made,  and  was  quite  comfortable,  except 
the  hands,  which  were  cold  at  starting.  I  fussed  all  day 
over  the  Christmas  tree  which  we  are  to  have  on  the 
26th,  and  this  evening  we  had  a  small  farewell  dinner  for 
Nigra,  the  Italian  Ambassador,  who  is  going  away  to 
Vienna.  I  am  very  sorry,  as  he  is  a  good  colleague  and  an 
easy  and  charming  talker.  He  sat  a  long  time  with  me 
the  other  day  talking  over  his  Paris  experiences  and  the 
brilliant  days  of  the  Empire — Tuileries,  Compiegne,  etc. 
It  was  most  interesting  and  new  to  me,  as  I  only  know 
Paris  since  the  war  (1870)  and  have  never  seen  either 
Emperor  or  Empress.  I  suppose  I  never  shall  see  her, 
as  she  never  comes  to  London,  and  lives  a  very  secluded 
life  at  Farnborough  with  a  small  household,  and  some 
Paris  friends  who  come  sometimes,  not  very  often,  to 
see  her.  What  a  tragic  "fin  de  vie"  hers  is,  having  had 
everything  and  lost  everything.  We  had  also  the  Rus- 
sian and  Spanish  Ambassadors — Staal  charming,  clever, 
easy,  simple — "simpatico,"  the  only  word  I  know  in  any 
language  which  expresses  exactly  that  combination  of 
qualities.  Casa  La  Iglesia,  the  Spaniard,  is  a  tall,  hand- 
some, attractive-looking  man.  He  made  havoc  in  the 
various  posts  he  has  occupied,  and  when  we  want  to 
tease  him  we  ask  him  about  his  departure  from  Berlin, 
and  all  the  "femmes  affolees"  who  were  at  the  station 
to  see  the  last  of  him.  Henrietta  and  Anne  have  arrived 
for  Christmas,  laden  of  course  with  presents  and  sou- 
venirs for  everybody,  and  Francis  is  quite  happy  with 
his  aunts. 


224    LETTERS  OF  A  DIPLOMAT'S  WIFE    [Dep 


To  G.  K,  S. 

Albert  Gate,  London, 
December  24,  1885. 

The  sisters  and  I  have  been  shopping  all  day  getting 
the  last  things  for  the  tree,  which  is  to  be  on  the  26th. 
The  streets  are  most  animated,  full  of  people,  all  carry- 
ing parcels,  and  all  with  smiling  faces.  The  big  toy-shops 
and  confectioners  crowded.  ''Buzzard,"  the  great  shop 
in  Oxford  Street,  most  amusing;  hundreds  of  Christmas 
cakes  of  all  sizes.  There  are  plum  cakes  frosted  with 
sugar  icing,  the  date  generally  in  red  letters  and  a  sprig 
of  ivy  or  evergreen  stuck  in  at  the  top.  We  had  ordered 
a  large  one,  and  they  were  much  pleased  to  do  it  for  the 
French  Embassy,  and  wanted  to  make  the  letters  in  "tri- 
color," red,  white,  and  blue.  We  wound  up  at  the 
Army  and  Navy  Stores,  and  really  had  some  difficulty 
in  getting  in.  They  had  quantities  of  Christmas  trees 
already  decorated,  which  were  being  sold  as  fast  as  they 
were  brought  in. 

There  were  splendid  turkeys,  enormous ;  and  curiously 
enough  they  told  us  many  of  them  came  from  France, 
from  a  well-known  turkey  farm  in  the  Loiret.  I  must 
ask  the  Segurs,  who  live  in  that  part  of  the  country,  if 
they  know  the  place.  There  were  quantities  of  plum- 
puddings  of  all  sizes  and  prices,  and  it  must  be  a  very 
poor  household  that  doesn't  have  its  plum-pudding  to- 
morrow. We  were  glad  to  get  back  to  tea  and  hot  but- 
tered toast — a  thoroughly  English  institution.  I  would 
like  some  of  my  French  servants  to  learn  how  to  make  it, 
but  I  don't  suppose  they  will.  In  fact  I  don't  know 
exactly  who  makes  it  here — I  am  quite  sure  neither 
Juteau  nor  his  "gargon  de  cuisine"  would  condescend  to 


i88s]       CHRISTMAS    AT    THE    EMBASSY       225 

do  anything  so  simple.  I  suppose  it  isn't  the  *'odd  man" 
who  seems  to  do  all  the  things  that  no  one  else  will,  but 
I  sha'n't  inquire  as  long  as  it  appears. 

We  had  a  quiet  evening — talked  a  little  politics  while 
W.  was  smoking.  Henrietta  always  sees  a  great  many 
people  of  all  kinds,  and  tells  him  various  little  things 
that  don't  come  to  him  in  his  official  despatches.  The 
house  is  comfortable  enough,  though  there  is  no  calor- 
ifere,  and  it  is  a  corner  house.  There  are  enormous 
coal  fires  everywhere,  except  in  my  bedroom  and  dress- 
ing-room, where  I  always  burn  wood — and  such  wood — 
little  square  pieces  like  children's  blocks. 

Christmas  Day. 
It  was  dark  and  foggy  this  morning,  we  could  hardly 
see  the  trees  opposite,  and  the  lamps  are  lighted  in  the 
house  and  the  streets.  Francis  was  enchanted  with  his 
presents.  I  think  the  billiard-table  from  Paris  and  the 
big  boat  ("aussi  grand  que  Monsieur  Toutain" — one  of 
our  Secretaries)  were  w^hat  pleased  him  most.  There  is  a 
sort  of  sailing  match  every  Sunday  morning  on  the  Ser- 
pentine. Some  really  beautiful  boats  (models)  full- 
rigged,  and  it  is  a  pretty  sight  to  see  them  all  start  a 
miniature  yacht  race  across  the  river.  Francis  always 
goes  with  Clarisse,  and  Yves,  his  own  little  Breton  foot- 
man, carries  his  boat,  which  is  much  bigger  than  he  is, 
also  Boniface,  a  wise  little  fox-terrier  w^ho  knows  all 
about  it,  and  gallops  around  the  top  of  the  lake  to  meet 
his  master's  boat  on  the  other  side.  They  have  also  one 
of  the  Park  keepers  and  a  gigantic  policeman,  who  is  al- 
ways on  duty  at  Albert  Gate,  to  look  after  them.  Not  a 
useless  precaution,  as  the  boat  often  gets  entangled  in 
the  reeds,  and  has  been  known  to  go  to  the  bottom  of 
the  lake,  and  Boniface  always  gets  lost  and  is  brought 


226    LETTERS   OF  A  DIPLOMAT'S  WIFE    [Dec. 

back  by  a  policeman  or  a  soldier,  or  a  friend — Hilda 
Deichmann  brought  him  back  one  day. 

We  had  a  cheerful  Christmas  dinner — all  our  person- 
nel— M.  Blanchard  de  Forges,  Consul  General,  and  Vil- 
liers,  the  correspondent  of  the  ''Debats"  in  London.  We 
did  a  little  music  after  dinner.  I  tried  for  some  Christ- 
mas carols  "We  Three  Kings  of  Orient  Are"  (do  you 
remember  that  at  Oyster  Bay?  how  long  ago  it  seems), 
but  the  English-speaking  element  was  not  strong 
enough.  We  danced  a  little,  winding  up  with  a  sort  of 
Scotch  reel — Henrietta,  Warn  (our  Military  Attache), 
and  Petiteville  being  the  chief  performers. 

December  26th. 

We  are  all  rather  exhausted  after  the  Christmas  tree ; 
however,  the  children  were  quite  pleased,  and  the  tree 
really  very  pretty.  A  gigantic  pine,  reaching  to  the  top 
of  the  ceiHng  in  the  ballroom,  a  star  on  the  top  and  very 
well  Hghted.  We  had  34  children  of  all  ages  and  nation- 
alities, from  Nadine  Karolyi,  aged  18,  daughter  of 
Count  Karolyi,  Austrian  Ambassador  and  Doyen  of  the 
Corps  Diplomatique,  to  Florence  Williams'  baby  girl 
of  16  months.  The  little  ones  were  sweet,  speechless  at 
first,  with  round  eyes  fixed  on  the  tree,  and  then  little 
fat  arms  stretched  out  for  something.  The  children's 
tea-table  looked  pretty,  arranged  with  coloured  candles 
and  holly,  and  an  enormous  Christmas  cake  in  the  middle 
with  a  wreath  of  holly  around  it.  Nadine  Karolyi  cut 
the  first  slice  of  cake,  as  daughter  of  the  Doyen  she  sat  on 
Francis's  right  hand,  and  Thekla  Staal,  daughter  of  the 
Russian  Ambassador,  on  his  left.  W.  was  much  amused 
at  the  correct  placing  of  the  young  ladies.  We  start  to- 
morrow for  Knowsley  and  Luton  Hoo,  and  the  packing 


1885]  RECALLING    ROME  22; 

is  quite  an  affair.  I  take  10  dresses,  besides  jackets,  hats, 
etc.  I  must  have  short  costumes  to  follow  the  battues 
for  fine  and  bad  weather — a  swell  day  dress,  as  we  are  to 
lunch  at  Croxteth,  Lord  Sefton's  place  near  Knowsley; 
and  two  ball  dresses,  as  there  is  to  be  a  county  ball  for 
all  the  neighbourhood  at  Luton,  New  Year's  night,  and 
a  small  dance  with  a  cotillon  (which  is  unusual  in  Eng- 
land) the  next  night.  Adelaide  is  rather  fatigued,  as  be- 
sides my  trunk  she  has  to  finish  off  her  toilettes,  and  she 
has  just  come  in  to  ask  me  if  she  shall  take  the  regulation 
black  silk,  or  a  blue  silk,  which  is  more  dressy;  as  they 
tell  her  the  ladies  in  the  housekeeper's  room  are  very 
dressy  at  Luton.  I  said  the  blue  silk  by  all  means — she 
must  be  up  to  the  mark.  The  fog  has  kept  up  pretty 
well  all  day.  I  hope  it  will  clear  to-morrow,  we  are 
going  straight  into  the  coal  country.  Knowsley  is  near 
Liverpool,  and  I  fancy  it  is  always  dark  there. 

I  was  telling  Nigra  the  other  day  about  our  first  Ro- 
man Christmas  and  what  an  impression  it  made  upon  us. 
Such  a  splendid  winter,  always  a  bright  blue  sky,  and 
roses  straggling  over  all  the  old  grey  walls.  The 
Pifferari  singing  to  the  Madonnas  at  all  the  street  cor- 
ners, the  midnight  Mass  and  mysterious  Pastorale  in  St. 
Peter's  at  early  dawn  with  the  tapers  trembling  on  the 
high  altar  so  far  away;  and  the  grand  Christmas  cere- 
mony at  St.  Peter's,  with  all  the  magnificent  pomp  of  the 
Catholic  Church  in  Rome,  We  talked  on  for  some 
time  about  ''Roma  com'  era,"  which  of  course  he  doesn't 
regret,  and  I  told  him  of  our  last  night  in  Rome,  when  we 
all  went  "en  bande"  to  drink  at  the  Fountain  of  Trevi 
(which  is  supposed  to  act  as  a  charm  and  to  bring  people 
back  to  Rome).  I  remember  quite  well  how  tearful  I 
was  when  we  left.  I  didn't  think  then  that  life  was  worth 
living  out  of  the  shadow  of  St.  Peter's,  and  think  so  a 


i28    LETTERS  OF  A  DIPLOMAT'S  WIFE    [Dec. 

little  still  even  now,  though  my  lines  have  lain  in  very 
different  places. 

We  leave  Francis  in  the  sisters'  charge,  with  the  joys 
of  a  pantomime  before  him. 


To  H.  L.  K. 

Knowsley, 
December  29,  1885. 

We  arrived  here  late  yesterday  afternoon.  It  is  a  long, 
uninteresting  journey  (almost  to  Liverpool),  was  cold 
and  foggy  all  the  way  down,  and  we  found  snow  when 
we  arrived  in  the  Park — also  a  perfect  gale  of  wind,  the 
enormous  bare,  black  winter  trees  swaying  like  poplars. 
The  large  house,  with  all  the  facade  brightly  lighted, 
gave  us  at  once  a  cheerful  welcome.  Lady  Derby  was 
waiting  for  us  in  the  long,  low  drawing-room  with  tea, 
and  we  went  up  almost  immediately  to  dress  for  dinner. 
We  had  sent  the  servants  by  an  earlier  train,  which  was 
convenient,  as  they  had  time  to  unpack  and  have  every- 
thing ready  for  us.  We  have  a  charming  apartment — a 
very  good-sized  salon,  with  bedrooms  large  and  comfort- 
able on  each  side.  The  salon  furnished  in  a  bright  chintz, 
and  good  pictures,  mostly  family  portraits,  on  the  walls. 
There  were  blazing  fires  everywhere — these  enormous 
rocks  of  Liverpool  coal  one  sees  here.  I  instantly  pro- 
ceeded to  demolish  mine  in  my  bedroom.  Adelaide  had 
already  tried  to  make  the  housemaid  understand  that  her 
lady  didn't  like  warm  rooms,  but  the  other  one  pointed 
to  the  snow  under  the  windows,  and  heaped  on  her  pieces 
of  coal. 

Dinner  was  at  8  punctually  (which  was  a  contrast  to 
Hatfield,  where  we  had  been  staying  the  other  day. 
There  dinner  was  easily  half  past  eight,  and  after  we  had 


1885]  AT    KNOWSLEY    PARK  229 

been  at  table  some  little  time  various  friends  and  mem- 
bers of  the  family  appeared,  and  slid  quietly  into  their 
places  at  the  end  of  the  very  long  table).  There  is  a 
large  family  party  here  and  some  other  guests,  including 
the  two  historians,  Froude  and  Lecky,  both  most  in- 
teresting. 

We  dined  in  a  fine  hall  with  family  portraits  of  all  the 
Derbys,  from  the  first  one  at  Bosworth  down  to  the  pres- 
ent Earl,  who  is  the  i6th  Earl  of  Derby.  There  was 
beautiful  plate  on  the  table — fine  racing  cups — as  the 
Stanleys  were  always  quite  as  much  racing  men  as  states- 
men. These  are  such  curious  things  in  England,  the 
love  of  sport  is  so  strong.  Fancy  any  of  our  statesmen, 
Thiers,  Guizot,  Dufaure,  etc.,  with  racing  stables.  Lord 
Derby  is  very  easy  and  rather  inclined  to  chafif  Americans 
a  Httle,  but  I  didn't  mind.  The  evening  was  short  after 
we  adjourned  to  the  drawing-room.  Lady  Derby  is 
rather  delicate,  and  is  suffering  just  now  from  a  bad  eye. 
I  sat  some  time  in  my  comfortable  room  upstairs,  but  was 
glad  to  get  to  bed  early  after  the  cold  journey.  W. 
went  ofif  to  the  fumoir,  and  had  a  most  interesting  talk 
over  Ireland  and  Irish  questions  with  Mr.  Lecky.  This 
morning  was  awful;  snow,  sleet,  and  a  cold  rain — how- 
ever, the  sportsmen  were  not  to  be  deterred  by  any  such 
mild  obstacle,  and  started  at  9.30  in  a  big  break  with  four 
horses.  I  watched  the  departure  from  my  window,  and 
was  very  glad  I  was  not  going  to  make  any  such  expedi- 
tion. I  had  my  breakfast  upstairs,  and  had  an  amusing 
explanation  with  the  housemaid  who  appeared  at  9.30 
with  an  enormous  tray  and  breakfast  enough  for  a  family 
— tea,  beefsteaks,  cold  partridges,  eggs,  rolls,  toast,  po- 
tatoes, buns  and  fruit — you  never  saw  such  a  meal.  She 
couldn't  believe  that  I  only  wanted  tea  and  toast  and  an 
egg  (which  was  an  extra,  but  as  I  knew  we  should  only 


230    LETTERS  OF  A  DIPLOMAT'S  WIFE    [Dec 

lunch  at  two,  and  I  am  accustomed  to  have  my  dejeuner 
a  la  fourchette  at  12,  I  was  sure  I  should  be  hungry  if  I 
didn't  take  something),  and  asked  me  most  respectfully 
if  I  was  not  well,  and  would  like  something  else — ''a  little 
soup  perhaps." 

I  went  downstairs  about  12  and  found  the  ladies  in  the 
drawing-room  all  complaining  of  the  cold.  Lady  Derby 
took  me  over  the  house — it  has  not  the  beautiful  propor- 
tions of  Hatfield — is  long,  low,  and  rambling,  but  most 
comfortable.  The  library  is  a  fine  room  with  deep  win- 
dow recesses,  and  most  comfortable  with  a  bright  fire 
burning.  The  librarian  was  there  and  showed  us  some 
of  his  treasures,  among  them  an  old  copy  of  the  ''Roman 
de  la  Rose,"  and  various  old  manuscripts.  We  went  on 
to  the  dining-room,  and  Lady  Derby  explained  the  family 
portraits  to  me.  The  long,  unbroken  line  of  Earls  of 
Derby  is  most  interesting,  and  the  change  in  the  portraits 
for  the  two  or  three  generations  where  the  French  blood 
shows  itself,  most  curious.  The  wife  of  the  Earl  of 
Derby  who  died  on  the  scaiYold,  giving  his  life  for  his 
King,  was  the  famous  Charlotte  de  la  Tremouille,  who 
defended  her  castle — Lathom  House — so  gallantly 
against  Fairfax  and  his  Roundheads.  Do  you  remember 
one  of  our  school-room  books  in  America,  "Heroines  of 
History,"  where  there  was  a  description  of  the  siege  of 
Lathom  House,  and  a  picture  of  the  Countess  of  Derby 
standing  on  the  ramparts  in  a  riding  habit  and  hat  and 
feathers  and  apparently  loading  a  cannon  herself  and 
showing  a  gunner  how  to  point  it? 

The  portraits  are  most  interesting;  first  the  regular 
Saxon  type,  then  the  French  streak,  pale  oval  faces,  and 
dark  eyes  and  hair  (not  unlike  the  Stuarts,  who  have 
always  a  foreign  look);  then  the  true  British,  more  and 
more  accentuated  down  to  the  present  Earl.     They  have 


I885J         NEW    YEAR'S    EVE    SERVICES  231 

also  in  one  of  the  halls  the  block  on  which  the  Lord 
Derby  knelt  who  was  beheaded  in  1631. 

The   sportsmen   arrived   about    tea-time,    apparently 
neither  cold  nor  tired,  and  having  had  a  fine  shoot. 

New  Year's  Day,  1886. 
We  are  leaving  this  afternoon  for  Luton,  Mme.  de 
Falbe's  place,  where  there  is  a  ball  and  cotillon  to-night. 
We  were  to  go  and  join  the  shooters  yesterday,  but  it 
was  rainy  and  cold,  and  the  ladies  didn't  care  to  go  out. 
The  talk  at  luncheon  was  pleasant ;  Froude  is  brilliant  and 
easy.  His  American  experiences  and  stories  were  amus- 
ing, but  I  told  him  he  mustn't  take  the  very  eccentric 
ladies  and  gentlemen  whom  he  had  encountered  as  speci- 
mens of  Americans.  I  didn't  know  any  such  people,  that 
really  most  of  us  were  quite  quiet  and  ordinary,  and  like 
everybody  else.  Lord  Derby  rather  urged  him  on,  and 
was  amused  at  our  perfectly  amicable  discussion.  We 
drove  over  to  Croxteth,  Lord  Sefton's  place,  after  lunch. 
The  park  is  fine  and  they  have  capital  shooting.  Our 
evening  was  quiet,  and  we  broke  up  early,  as  they  always 
have  a  midnight  service  in  the  chapel  on  New  Year's  eve 
for  the  family  and  servants  and  any  of  the  guests  who 
like  to  attend.  We  left  the  drawing-room  at  10.30,  so 
that  the  servants  might  put  out  the  lights,  finish  their 
work,  etc.,  and  also  to  have  time  to  get  out  of  our  low 
dresses  and  jewels.  A  little  before  12  Lady  Margaret 
Cecil  (Lady  Derby's  daughter  by  her  first  husband.  Lord 
Salisbury)  came  for  us  and  we  went  to  the  chapel.  I 
had  put  on  a  dark  cloth  dress  and  jacket,  nothing  on  my 
head.  The  chapel  was  full,  all  the  servants  (including 
my  French  maid)  and  household.  Lady  Margaret,  look- 
ing like  a  saint  in  her  plain  black  dress,  and  beautiful  ear- 
nest expression,  sat  at  the  little  organ,  and  everybody, 


232    LETTERS  OF  A  DIPLOMAT'S  WIFE    Uan. 

gardeners,  keepers,  coachmen,  cooks,  housemaids,  joined 
in  the  singing.  It  was  very  solemn  and  impressive.  At 
the  end  of  the  service  we  all  went  out  first,  and  then  Lady 
Margaret  and  her  brother  Lord  Lionel  stood  at  the  head 
of  the  stairs  and  shook  hands  with  all  the  guests,  and  all 
the  servants,  wishing  all  a  ''Happy  New  Year."  It  was 
a  nice  beginning  of  the  New  Year.  Lord  Derby  hopes 
our  next  one  will  be  also  in  England  and  at  Knowsley, 
but  everything  is  so  uncertain,  and  of  such  short  dura- 
tion in  our  country  (especially  Cabinets)  that  we  can 
hardly  look  forward  a  year. 

Luton, 
January  3,  1886. 
Our  journey  yesterday  from  Knowsley  was  not  very 
long,  and  some  of  the  country  all  about  Matlock,  in 
Derbyshire,  quite  wild  and  lovely.  Our  host  here  is  M. 
de  Falbe,  Danish  Minister,  who  married  Mrs.  Leigh, 
owner  of  this  charming  place.  We  found  the  house 
party,  mostly  young,  assembled  in  the  morning-room 
with  tea,  the  ladies  all,  as  usual,  in  very  dressy  tea- 
gowns.  I  can't  quite  get  used  to  that  fashion,  though 
I  see  it  is  very  practical  in  the  country  at  this  season. 
Everyone  goes  out  (in  all  weathers  generally)  from 
luncheon  till  tea-time,  and  of  course  one  must  get  out  of 
short  skirts  and  muddy  boots  before  coming  down  to  the 
drawing-room.  We  went  up  early  to  dress,  as  Mme.  de 
Falbe  wanted  to  dine  precisely  at  8,  on  account  of  the 
ball  afterwards.  The  house  is  large,  with  endless  corners 
and  corridors,  fine  drawing-rooms,  library,  and  a  large 
chapel  with  a  fine  organ.  The  dinner  was  handsome  and 
ve-y  well  arranged,  five  round  tables,  and  quantities  of 
silver,  flowers,  servants,  etc.  About  10.30  the  company 
began  to  arrive,  many  county  neighbours,  Salisburys, 
Lyttons,  Caledo.ns,  etc.,  bringing  their  house  parties  with 


The  Late  Earl  of  Derby. 
From  a  photograph  by  Franz  Baum,  London. 


1886]         HOUSE    PARTY    AMUSEMENTS  233 

them.  We  had  a  very  pretty  cotillon.  At  the  end  the 
children's  pony  came  in  carrying  two  big  baskets  filled 
with  presents.  The  poor  little  thing  was  very  gentle, 
but  was  evidently  afraid  of  slipping  on  the  parquet  floor. 

Sunday,  3d. 

To-day  has  been  charming;  first  the  service  in  the 
house  chapel,  very  good  organ  music — Mme.  de  Falbe  is 
musical  and  arranges  everything.  After  breakfast  they 
organized  a  paper  hunt  for  the  "jeunesse"  in  the  park, 
and  the  older  people  walked  about.  The  rendezvous 
was  the  dairy — a  model  one,  quite  dehghtful  with  tiles, 
and  creepers  running  along  the  walls  and  peeping  every- 
where in  at  the  window^s.  One  by  one  the  young 
people  assembled,  flushed  and  exhausted  with  running, 
and  all  clamouring  for  tea.  Comte  Jacques  de  Pour- 
tales  (one  of  our  Secretaries),  a  young  officer  of  the 
Blues,  and  Forbes,  Mme.  de  Falbe's  son-in-law,  were 
the  hares  and  got  in  some  time  before  the  hounds. 
After  tea  Falbe  took  me  over  to  the  stables,  where  there 
were  plenty  of  horses,  and  also  to  the  "vacherie,"  which 
was  perfect.  They  have  40  small  Alderney  cows,  all  the 
same  breed  and  colour,  pretty  little  beasts,  and  so  won- 
derfully clean,  kept  like  pet  dogs. 

The  dinner  and  evening  was  most  lively,  choruses,  ban- 
jos (which  is  a  favourite  instrument  in  English  houses), 
and  every  kind  of  game,  including  musical  chairs — M.  de 
Falbe  at  the  piano.  I  think  everyone  played  except  the 
Falbes  and  ourselves.  W.  and  Falbe  retired  afterwards 
to  the  smoking-room,  and  were  deep  in  foreign  politics. 
Falbe  is  a  perfect  type  of  the  diplomatist,  tall,  good-look- 
ing, and  a  charming,  courteous  manner.  We  ladies  went 
off  about  II,  and  an  hour  later  we  heard  the  most  un- 
earthly noises  in  the  house.     All  the  men  parading  the 


234    LETTERS  OF  A  DIPLOMAT'S  WIFE    Qan. 

corridors  with  banjos,  bells,  gongs,  etc.,  and  singing  (if 
singing  it  can  be  called)  at  the  top  of  their  voices.  They 
stopped  at  every  door  to  serenade.  The  party  breaks 
up  to-morrow,  and  we  all  go  back  to  London. 


To  G,  K.  S. 

London, 
Sunday,  January  17,  1886. 

We  had  a  musical  dinner  last  night  for  Miss  Griswold 
and  Albanesi,  and  they  sang  and  played  all  the  evening. 
Albanesi  has  a  charming,  delicate  touch,  and  plays  with 
all  the  Italian  brio.  He  told  me — what  surprised  me — 
that  he  was  always  frightfully  nervous  when  playing  in 
public,  and  much  preoccupied  with  the  ''composition  de 
la  salle" — if  he  saw  one  or  two  unsympathetic  faces  he 
had  at  once  a  disagreeable  sensation!  Gertrude  Gris- 
wold has  always  the  same  lovely  voice  with  a  beautiful 
clear  ring  in  it,  and  sings  most  artistically. 

This  morning  we  have  been  to  church  at  St.  Paul's. 
It  is  a  fine  service,  a  splendid  organ,  and  very  good  well- 
trained  choir — but  not  at  all  solemn.  I  felt  as  if  I  was 
in  one  of  the  great  Catholic  cathedrals  in  Italy.  People 
were  coming  and  going  all  the  time,  and  walking  about 
the  church.  It  is  so  enormous  that  it  is  quite  a  walk  from 
the  big  doors  to  the  small  (comparatively)  enclosed  space 
where  the  congregation  assembles. 

I  have  been  at  home  all  the  afternoon  receiving — men 
only,  which  is  a  regular  London  custom.  Adams  came  in 
at  tea-time.  He  and  W.  always  like  to  have  a  good  talk 
over  old  times.  They  were  at  school  and  college  to- 
gether, and  Adams,  when  he  was  Charge  d'Afifaires  at 
the  British  Embassy,  used  to  have  all  sorts  of  questions 
to  treat  with  W.,  who  was  then  Ministre  des  Affaires 


I8&6J  OPENING    OF    PARLIAMENT  235 

Etrangeres  in  Paris.  They  always  began  their  conver- 
sations in  French,  and  then  fell  into  English,  which  of 
course  they  had  always  spoken  together. 

To-night  we  have  a  small  dinner  for  Rustem  Pacha, 
and  I  have  asked  one  or  two  people  in  the  evening.  I 
should  like  to  be  at  home  always  on  Sunday  night,  as  we 
did  in  the  Champs  Elysees,  but  they  tell  me  no  English 
will  come.  Many  of  them  don't  go  out  on  Sunday  night, 
and  don't  take  their  horses  out,  and  give  servants  a  rest. 
I  asked  Lady  A.,  who  is  very  mondaine,  if  she  would 
come  to  dinner  to  meet  a  few  colleagues,  and  she  said — 
"Dear  Mme.  Waddington,  let  me  come  another  night; 
I  never  take  out  my  carriage  and  servants  on  Sunday." 

Jean  Gordon  Gumming  is  very  much  exercised  over 
what  she  calls  my  French  ways,  and  constantly  tells  me 
people  don't  do  such  and  such  things  in  England;  but  I 
always  tell  her  the  French  Embassy  is  not  England;  how- 
ever, she  is  rather  worried  over  me,  and  finds  me  un- 
English  (which  is  not  surprising)  and  unconventional, 
which  is  also  not  surprising,  considering  my  nationality. 

To  H.  L.  K. 

January  21,  1886. 

We  have  had  a  great  function  to-day,  the  Queen 
opened  Parliament.  We  all  went  in  gala,  Countess  D'A. 
and  P.  with  us,  the  men  in  uniform,  I  in  red  satin,  low, 
with  diamonds  and  feathers.  The  road  was  lined  with 
policemen  and  mounted  soldiers  in  lieu  of  infantry,  as 
there  would  have  been  with  us.  As  we  passed  through 
the  Horse-Guards  the  trumpeters  saluted.  We  went  at 
once  into  the  great  hall  of  the  Lords',  which  was  a  fine 
sight.  All  the  peers  were  there  in  their  scarlet  robes 
trimmed  with  white  fur,  and  the  women  in  low  dresses 


236    LETTERS  OF  A  DIPLOMAT'S  WIFE    Qan 

diamonds,  and  feathers  (feathers  play  a  great  part  in  all 
English  toilettes).  The  Judges  also  were  in  full  dress, 
with  wigs  and  gowns.  About  1.30  the  Princes  began  to 
arrive,  Prince  of  Wales,  Dukes  of  Edinburgh,  Con- 
naught,  and  Cambridge  all  also  in  scarlet  robes  w^ith 
bands  of  ermine  and  gold,  and  the  collar  of  the  Garter. 
We  sat  close  to  the  Throne  (Countess  Karolyi  didn't 
come,  so  I  was  Doyenne),  then  Madame  de  Staal  and  the 
Duchesses  Bedford,  Hamilton,  Sutherland,  and  others. 
The  Prince  of  Wales  stood  next  to  me  some  time,  pre- 
senting the  Duke  of  Connaught,  w^hom  I  had  not  seen, 
and  talked  pleasantly  enough,  explaining  various  things 
to  me;  also  said  he  was  rather  shy  at  taking  his  seat  on 
the  raised  platform  until  the  last  moment.  He  had  an 
arm-chair  on  the  right  of  the  Throne.  I  asked  him  for 
whom  the  other  arm-chair  was  and  he  said  it  was  his 
father's,  had  never  been  used  since  his  death,  and  showed 
me  the  Saxon  arms  on  it.  The  three  brothers,  Wales, 
Edinburgh,  and  Connaught,  remained  standing  together. 
The  other  Princes,  Christian,  Duke  of  Teck,  and  Henry 
of  Battenberg,  were  opposite  to  us;  Battenberg,  who 
has  a  slight,  stylish  figure,  looking  handsome  in  British 
Volunteer  Uniform  (dark  green)  with  the  collar  of  the 
Garter.  Teck  looks  badly,  older  and  thinner.  He  must 
have  been  a  very  handsome  man  (which,  by  the  way,  he 
tells  one  frequently).  When  Prince  Alexander  of  Bat- 
tenberg was  at  one  of  the  Court  balls  everyone  was  talk- 
ing about  him  and  saying  what  a  magnificent  man  he  was. 
Teck,  who  was  dancing  a  quadrille  with  me,  was  much 
put  out,  and  said  to  me,  '*Do  you  really  find  Battenberg 
so  very  handsome?  It  is  a  pity  you  didn't  know  me 
when  I  was  his  age;  I  was  much  handsomer,"  and  ap- 
pealed to  Count  D.,  Austrian  Ambassador,  an  old  friend 
and  "compagnon  d'armes,"  to  support   his  statement, 


I886J  IMPOSING    CEREMONIES  237 

which  I  must  say  he  did  most  warmly,  and  one  can  quite 
see  it. 

All  the  Ambassadors  and  men  of  the  Corps  Diplo- 
matique faced  us — the  English  women  were  upstairs. 
About  2.30  (we  had  been  there  since  1.30)  we  heard  a 
trumpet  call,  and  all  the  company  stood  up.  We  women 
dropped  our  cloaks,  and  the  Prince  took  his  place  stand- 
ing on  the  dais.  Presently  appeared  the  Garter  King-at- 
Arms  and  various  officers  of  the  household.  The  Duke 
of  Portland  stood  on  the  right  of  the  Throne  holding  a 
Royal  crown  on  a  cushion.  Lord  Salisbury  (Premier) 
carried  a  large  sword  with  a  double  handle,  and  then 
came  the  Queen  followed  by  Princess  Beatrice  and 
Princes  Eddie  and  George  of  Wales.  The  Queen  was 
dressed  in  black  satin  with  a  long  train,  lined  and  trimmed 
with  ermine,  quantities  of  diamonds  on  her  neck  and  cor- 
sage, the  blue  ribbon  of  the  Garter,  and  a  regular  closed 
crown  of  diamonds,  and  white  veil.  As  she  came  in  the 
Prince  of  Wales  advanced,  touched  the  ground  with  one 
knee,  kissed  her  hand,  and  led  her  to  the  Throne.  He 
did  his  part  most  easily  and  gracefully,  and  didn't  look  at 
all  shy.  The  Queen's  train  was  carried  by  Sir  Henry 
Ponsonby  and  two  pages  in  red  and  gold.  Princess 
Beatrice  and  the  Duchess  of  Buccleuch  (Mistress  of  the 
Robes)  stood  behind  the  Queen  on  her  right,  Princes 
Eddie  and  George  on  her  left.  Lord  Salisbury,  Halsbury, 
Lathom,  and  some  others  were  also  on  the  dais.  As 
soon  as  the  Queen  was  settled  on  her  Throne  she  bowed 
to  us  all  right  and  left.  We  made  deep  curtseys,  and 
then  she  made  a  sign  that  we  were  to  sit  down.  There 
was  a  few  moments'  silence  while  they  went  to  summon 
the  Commons.  Then  one  heard  a  noise  of  scrambling 
and  racing  in  the  corridors — and  they  appeared;  the 
Speaker,  looking  very  well  in  his  wig  and  gown,  came 


238    LETTERS   OF  A   DIPLOMAT'S  WIFE  [Mar 

first,  fairly  shot  Into  the  hall  like  a  bomb  by  the  impa 
tient  crowd  behind  him.  Then  the  Lord  Chancellor,  ask- 
ing the  Queen's  permission,  read  her  speech  in  a  clear, 
distinct  voice,  so  that  one  heard  every  word.  It  was  very 
short,  and  as  soon  as  it  was  over  the  Queen  went  away 
with  the  same  ceremony  as  when  she  came.  When  she 
got  to  the  foot  of  the  dais  she  made  a  very  pretty  half 
curtsey.  The  Princes  left  directly  afterwards — we  too. 
The  crowd  in  the  street  was  tremendous,  everyone  always 
is  anxious  to  see  the  Queen,  and  much  excited  over  the 
cream-coloured  Hanoverian  horses  which  she  uses  when 
she  goes  anywhere  in  semi-state.  As  they  only  go  out 
very  seldom  it  is  rather  a  responsibility  for  the  Master 
of  the  Horse  to  see  that  they  are  perfectly  quiet. 

Windsor,  March  8,  1886. 
We  are  at  Windsor  for  the  second  time  to  dine  and 
sleep,  and  we  are  ''Doyens"  now,  so  have  a  sweller  apart- 
ment in  one  of  the  towers — the  walls  so  thick  that  they 
make  splendid  deep  window  recesses  (and  a  piano).  We 
had  asked  an  audience  of  Princess  Beatrice,  who  received 
us  before  dinner  about  7.  I  wore  my  brown  velvet  in 
which  I  had  come  down,  and  we  found  her  in  a  small 
salon  with  a  piano  and  pretty  pictures  and  bibelots  about. 
She  was  in  an  ordinary  red  costume,  and  was  rather  cold 
and  shy  at  first,  but  thawed  when  Battenberg  appeared. 
He  has  a  delightful  easy  way,  that  sort  of  charm  that 
so  many  Poles  have.  The  party  was  a  small  one — no 
other  diplomats  but  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Phelps,  both  charming, 
and  some  English.  The  ceremony  was  quite  the  same 
as  before.  The  Queen  came  about  nine  and  went  alone 
into  the  dining-room,  and  had  her  two  sons-in-law, 
Christian  and  Battenberg,  on  each  side.  W.  took  in 
Princess  Beatrice,  and  Mr.  Phelps  me,  so  I  was  quite 


i886]  AT    WINDSOR    AGAIN  239 

happy.  The  Queen  spoke  Httle,  in  German,  principally, 
to  her  neighbours,  the  EngHsh  scarcely  at  all,  and  almost 
in  whispers.  I  don't  know  what  w^ould  happen  to  me  if 
I  dined  often  at  court,  I  couldn't  sit  at  table  for  an  hour 
without  talking  to  someone.  Mr.  P.  says  American 
women  are  not  made  for  courts  and  convenances.  They 
lose  all  their  charm  if  they  are  not  natural,  and  I  think 
he  is  right.  The  cercle  lasted  about  an  hour.  The  Queen 
and  I  talked  music.  She  regrets  Miinster,  who  is  going 
to  Paris. 

London,  March  9. 

We  were  asked  this  morning  if  we  would  like  to  drive 
to  the  Mausoleum  before  we  went  back  to  town,  which 
we  accepted  of  course.     W.  and  I  went  in  an  open 
carriage,  a  pair  of  horses  and  postillion,  and  Lord  Thur- 
low,  Lord  in  Waiting,  with  us.     In  the  next  came  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Phelps  with  Mrs.  R,  Lady  in  Waiting.     We 
drove  down  the  ''long  walk"  to  the  Mausoleum,  which  is 
not  very  far  from  the  Castle.     It  is  a  handsome  building 
with  a  fine  marble  floor  like  some  of  the  old  Italian 
chapels.     The  tomb  of  the  Prince  Consort  is  very  fine, 
with  a  recumbent  marble  statue  and  a  place  beside  it 
for  the  Queen  when  her  turn  comes.     There  is  a  pretty 
monument  'Tn  Memoriam"  to  Princess  Alice  (of  Hesse) 
with  her  child  in  her  arms,  and  a  tablet  to  the  memory 
of  John  Brown  as  ''a  grateful  tribute  from  Queen  Vic- 
toria to  the  faithful  servant  and  friend  of  34  years."     We 
then  drove  to  Frogmore  and  saw  the  farm,  basse-cour, 
dairy,  etc.,  and  took  the  12.30  train  back  to  London. 
This  evening  we  have  had  a  handsome  dinner  and  recep- 
tion at  the  Russian  Embassy;  the  whole  house  open,  band 
playing,  and  all  London  there.     The  Duchess  of  Edin- 
burgh dined.     Corti  made  his  first  appearance  in  the 
"grand  monde"  as  Ambassador.    He  is  much  pleased  to 


240    LETTERS  OF  A  DIPLOMAT'S  WIFE  [Mar. 

be  in  London.  I  don't  know  if  he  and  W.  will  be  very 
cordial  colleagues,  as  Corti  decidedly  resented  W.'s  at- 
titude in  the  Berlin  Congress. 


To  /,  K, 

Clieveden,  Maidenhead, 
Sunday,  March  29,  1886. 

I  will  begin  my  letter  this  evening,  Dear  Jan,  in  this 
most  lovely  place  of  the  Duke  of  Westminster's  which 
Karolyi,  the  Austrian  Ambassador,  always  hires,  until 
after  Easter,  as  his  wife  hates  to  spend  the  winter  in  town. 
We  came  down  yesterday  afternoon  with  one  of  their 
secretaries,  a  nice  young  fellow.  We  found  the  Karolyis 
alone  in  a  charming  library  filled  with  books  in  all 
languages,  and  with  the  most  enchanting  view  of  the 
Thames — quite  like  the  view  from  Richmond  Terrace, 
if  you  remember  it.  They  gave  us  tea — and  about  7  we 
went  up  to  our  rooms.  Mine  is  the  one  the  Duchess  al- 
ways has,  and  W.  has  the  dressing-room  next,  a  large 
room,  all  hung  with  rose-coloured  silk,  faded  into  yellow 
now,  an  enormous  bed  with  yellow  silk  curtains  and 
counterpane,  a  bath-room  with  marble  bath  opening  out 
of  a  little  passage,  quite  complete,  and  always  the  same 
divine  view.  The  rooms  are  filled  with  pictures,  sou- 
venirs of  all  the  Sutherlands  (whose  place  it  was  orig- 
inally), Westminsters,  and  all  the  English  Royal  family 
of  all  ages.  At  8  a  gong  sounded  and  we  went  down 
to  the  library  (where  they  live  entirely),  and  found  them 
there  with  the  addition  of  Count  Victor  Karolyi,  a 
cousin.  The  dinner  was  good,  4  servants,  their  chas- 
seurs, in  Hungarian  uniform,  2  in  black  and  one  in 
plain  livery.  After  dinner  the  2  Karolyi  men  sat 
down  to   cards,  W.   and  the  young  man  talked,   also 


v; 


The  Countess  Fanny  Karolyi,  1888,  the  Austrian  Ana- 

bassadress. 

From  a  photog^raph  by  Walerj-,  London. 


1886]  CLIEVEDEN  241 

Mme.  K.  and  I — and  all  the  men  smoked.  It  was 
easy  enough,  as  everyone  talked  a  great  deal.  We 
broke  up  at  11.  This  morning  we  had  breakfast  at  10, 
and  afterwards  Mme.  K.  showed  me  the  house,  which  is 
very  handsome,  one  large,  beautiful  drawing-room  open- 
ing on  the  terrace  and  river  view.  They  live  only  in  the 
library,  as  the  rest  is  so  enormous  to  light  and  heat.  At 
12  M.  and  Mme.  de  Staal,  the  Russian  Ambassador  and 
his  w^ife,  arrived,  and  w^e  went  for  a  stroll  in  the  grounds. 
Went  out  again  after  lunch  for  a  long  walk  down  by  the 
river  in  short  skirts  and  thick  boots,  as  it  was  very  damp 
— almost  always  is  on  the  banks,  generally  low,  of  the 
Thames.  It  looked  very  pretty  and  gay,  quite  a  number 
of  boats  and  some  people  we  all  knew,  staying  in  one  of 
the  houses  near,  got  out  of  their  boats  and  walked  along 
with  us.  We  came  in  for  tea  at  5.30,  and  after  that 
adjourned  to  our  respective  rooms  till  dinner.  The 
evening  was  pleasant,  as  w^e  were  more  numerous  and 
Staal  talks  a  great  deal.  Now  I  am  going  to  bed,  as  it 
is  II  o'clock,  and  we  breakfast  at  a  quarter  to  ten  to- 
morrow, and  get  back  to  London  at  11.30. 

London,  Monday,  30th. 
We  got  back  this  morning  at  i  for  lunch,  and  have 
been  in  a  wild  state  ever  since  with  the  bad  news  from 
Tonkin  and  the  defeat  of  our  troops.  The  Ministry  is 
out,  and  Heaven  knows  what  will  happen.  W.  is  as  blue 
as  indigo  over  the  news,  as  he  had  been  very  cocky  over 
Tonkin,  as  compared  with  the  English  blunders  in  the 
Soudan.  Already  there  are  despatches  in  the  clubs  here, 
saying  W.  has  been  asked  to  take  the  Foreign  OfBce. 
Of  course  he  hasn't  been  asked,  and  I  hope  he  won't 
be,  for  I  should  hate  to  begin  that  official  life  in  Paris 
again,  and  I  am  very  happy  here  now — however,  one 


242    LETTERS   OF  A  DIPLOMAT'S  WIFE 

never  knows  in  political  life.  Do  you  know  any- 
thing about  Phelps?  W.  is  very  anxious  to  have  your 
opinion.  He  says  you  ought  to  know  about  a  Vermont 
man.  He  will  have  a  difficult  ''succession."  Mr.  Lowell 
is  much  liked  and  admired. 

London, 
April  lo,  1886. 

We  have  had  a  pleasant  morning  luncheon  at  Roll's 
Court  with  Lord  Esher,  who  showed  us  a  quantity  of 
most  interesting  old  manuscripts.  A  letter  from  "Bloody 
Mary"  to  Cardinal  Pole  announcing  her  "grossesse"  (the 
arrival  of  a  Prince),  also  the  confession  and  signature  of 
Guy  Fawkes  after  torture,  such  a  wavering,  faint  signa- 
ture, *'Guido."  It  is  extraordinary  how  all  the  papers 
and  handwriting  have  lasted.  All  these  old-world  things 
are  so  interesting  to  me,  I  seem  to  realize  history  so  much 
more.  I  hope  to  get  over  to  Paris  for  a  little  this  month. 
We  had  a  nice  party  (music)  at  Louisa  Lady  Ashbur- 
ton's  this  evening,  and  an  interesting  collection  of  people, 
fashionable,  literary,  and  Salvation  Army.  The  house  is 
crowded  with  statues,  pictures,  and  artistic  treasures  of 
all  kinds. 

To  J.  K. 

Ambassade  de  France  A  Londres, 
Sunday,  May  29,  1887. 

We  seem  to  have  a  gleam  of  sunshine  this  afternoon. 
Dear  Jan,  after  weeks  of  bleak  east  winds  and  grey  skies, 
and  we  are  going  to  take  advantage  of  it  to  drive  out  to 
White  Lodge,  Richmond  Park,  and  see  the  Tecks.  We 
are  revelling  in  Whitsuntide  recess,  and  no  dinners  or  ban- 
quets until  Friday,  the  second  Court  Concert.  Last  night 
I  went  to  the  Opera  with  the  Staals.  It  was  *Taust," 
very  well  given,  with  Albani,  Scalchi,  and  Gayare.    The 


1887]      A    FOREIGN    OFFICE    RECEPTION       243 

house  was  fairly  brilliant,  but  not  full — the  Prince  and 
Princess  of  Wales,  Rothschilds,  and  a  certain  number  of 
people,  who  came  to  hear  Albani  (she  is  such  a  favourite 
here).  I  should  think  it  would  be  a  losing  operation. 
Tell  Janet  Mile,  de  Staal  looks  so  nice,  is  so  much 
more  animated,  really  very  pretty,  so  high  bred  and  al- 
ways well  dressed.  Lady  Salisbury's  reception  at  the 
F.  O.  on  Tuesday  for  the  Queen's  Birthday  was  very 
brilliant;  there  were  quantities  of  Princes;  a  Danish 
Prince,  brother  of  the  Princess  of  Wales;  a  young 
Russian  Grand  Duke,  a  son  of  the  late  Prince  Frederick 
Charles,  brother  of  the  Duchess  of  Connaught,  and  any 
quantity  of  Maharajahs,  covered  with  gold  and  silver 
embroidery  and  diamonds  and  emeralds  as  big  as  eggs. 
They  always  make  a  great  fuss  over  the  Indian  Princes 
at  Court — treat  them  like  Royalty,  and  give  them  very 
good  places.  The  Corps  Diplomatique  always  protests. 
The  lion  of  the  evening  was  Herbert  Bismarck.  From 
the  Prince  of  Wales  down  everyone,  men  and  women, 
was  overwhelming  him  with  attentions.  I  didn't  think 
the  Danish  Prince  looked  much  pleased.  He  remarked 
that  "Bismarck  had  a  most  disagreeable  voice."  Lizzie 
P.  was  wandering  about  looking  very  handsome.  I 
didn't  see  Buffalo  Bill,  which  rather  surprised  me.  I 
suppose  he  is  genuine,  isn't  he?  He  professed  to  remem- 
ber Captain  King  perfectly  when  I  said  I  had  a  brother 
who  had  been  some  time  on  the  plains  with  his  regiment. 
Certainly  the  "Wild  West  Show"  is  most  original  and 
entertaining.  The  Indians  look  savage  enough  to  satisfy 
anyone,  and  Buffalo  Bill  and  the  King  of  the  Cowboys 
are  splendid  specimens  of  frontiersmen. 

Monday. 

I  will  finish  this  morning;  it  is  still  dark  and  rainy.     We 
went  out  yesterday  to  White  Lodge  and  had  a  pleasant 


244    LETTERS   OF  A  DIPLOMAT'S  WIFE    [May 

visit.  It  was  much  too  cold  to  sit  out,  so  we  had  tea  in 
the  gallery  and  enjoyed  it  very  much.  Princess  Mary  is 
always  so  easy.  The  young  Princess  May  looked  very 
nice  in  a  light  tweed  with  a  white  waistcoat.  She  asked 
after  Janet,  and  wanted  to  know  if  she  was  to  be  here  this 
season.  I  asked  Princess  Mary  what  she  was  going  to 
wear  at  the  Jubilee  Te  Deum  at  Westminster.  She  said 
she  had  no  idea,  but  she  had  been  told  long  dress,  smart 
bonnet,  decorations  and  diamonds.  It  seems  the  Queen 
is  going  to  wear  a  w^hite  bonnet  covered  with  diamonds. 
I  have  asked  no  questions  and  mean  to  wear  a  short  dress 
— no  one  will  see,  as  we  do  not  join  any  cortege.  We 
arrive  quite  simply  and  go  straight  to  our  places.  I 
shall  wear  white  lace  with  mousse  velvet,  and  a 
mousse  bonnet  with  pink  roses.  Tell  Janet,  I  am  con- 
vinced I  shall  never  wear  my  moire  apricot  dress  from 
Roulf,  that  I  couldn't  wear  last  year  at  any  of  the  Court 
fetes.  I  am  sure  the  German  Prince  will  die.  They  say 
he  may  at  any  moment,  as  the  excrescence  in  his  throat 
may  increase,  and  then  he  would  sufifocate.  Wouldn't  it 
be  strange  if  that  old  Emperor  outlived  the  son.  Neither 
sled  nor  fans  have  yet  arrived.  I  suppose  they  will  ap- 
pear soon.  We  have  one  or  two  things  we  mean  to  send 
out,  as  soon  as  we  have  an  opportunity — gloves,  etc.  I 
should  think  some  of  the  75,000  Americans  who  are 
coming  over  would  go  back  in  the  course  of  the  sum- 
mer. Princess  Mary  told  me  yesterday  that  a  pretty 
American  girl — an  heiress — she  couldn't  remember  the 
name — did  I  know? — is  probably  going  to  marry  a 
Count  Btetju,  aide-de-camp  to  the  Prince  of  Denmark. 
It  seems  he  saw  her  here  and  fell  in  love  with  her  at  once. 
I  must  stop  now.    Have  any  quantity  of  notes  to  write. 


1887]  THE    HAWAIIAN    QUEEN  245 

To  G.  K,  S. 

London, 

June  14,  1887. 
London  is  getting  ready  for  the  Jubilee  and  the  streets 
are  crowded.  Various  Royalties  have  arrived,  and  one 
meets  Royal  carriages,  escorts,  and  strong  squads  of 
police  at  every  turn.  It  is  warm  and  lovely  to-day — so 
was  yesterday.  W.,  Francis  and  I  drove  out  to  Sheen, 
where  W.  plays  tennis  in  Lord  F.'s  private  court.  I  wan- 
dered about  under  the  trees,  and  Francis  sailed  his  boat 
in  the  pond  and  was  quite  happy.  It  is  such  a  rest  to 
get  a  few  hours  in  the  country  when  one  is  going  out  all 
the  time  as  we  are  here — and  above  all  not  to  have  to 
talk.  We  had  a  remarkable  entertainment  last  night, 
given  by  the  Hawaiian  Secretary  (who  is  a  German- 
American)  for  his  Queen,  of  the  Sandwich  Islands.  We 
arrived  in  due  time,  I  rather  protesting. 

There  was  a  large  reception  after  dinner  and  the  mis- 
tress of  the  house  asked  us  if  we  wouldn't  stand  by  the 
Queen  and  make  a  sort  of  cercle,  and  a  funny  contrast 
we  made — Mrs.  P.  beautifully  dressed  in  white  satin  and 
lace,  Lady  R.  with  splendid  jewels,  I  w^ore  my  pink 
brocade  and  old  Venetian  lace.  It  really  was  too  absurd. 
I  talked  a  little  to  the  Princess,  who  is  intelligent 
enough.  The  Queen  is  a  great  stickler  for  etiquette, 
and  insisted  upon  the  same  honours  as  any  other  Roy- 
alties, an  escort  of  Life  Guards; — ^wouldn't  accept  any 
less  distinguished  escort. 

London, 

June  18,  1887. 

We  have  had  rather  an  amusing  afternoon.  I  think 
I  wrote  you  that  we  wanted  to  leave  Westminster  Abbey 
the  minute  the  ceremony  was  over,  get  through  the  line 
of  troops,  and  back  to  a  friend's  house  in  Piccadilly  to  see 
the  cortege — we  being  Mrs.  Phelps  and  I.    Our  respec- 


246    LETTERS   OF  A  DIPLOMAT'S  WIFE    [June 

tive  husbands  were  most  discouraging  (as  men  always 
are),  but  we  dined  last  night  with  Knowles  to  meet  the 
Duke  of  Cambridge,  and  I  told  His  Royal  Highness  what 
we  wanted  to  do,  and  asked  him  if  he  could  help  us. 
After  some  Httle  discussion  he  said  he  would  advise  us  to 
go  directly  to  Sir  Charles  Warren  (Chief  of  Police)  and 
see  what  he  could  arrange  for  us.  Again  our  husbands 
remonstrated,  ''Warren  was  overrun  with  applications  of 
all  kinds,  worked  to  death,  and  it  was  very  unreason- 
able," but  backed  by  the  Duke  we  determined  to  try. 

I  told  His  Royal  Highness  I  should  put  on  my  most 
becoming  Paris  bonnet  and  beard  the  lion  in  his  den. 
He  said,  ''Quite  right,  my  dear,  a  man  is  always  flattered 
when  a  woman  tries  to  please  him,"  so  accordingly  about 
3  Mrs.  Phelps  and  I  started  for  Scotland  Yard.  George 
was  rather  surprised  when  I  gave  the  order.  We  drove 
through  one  or  two  courts  and  were  stopped  once  by  a 
huge  policeman,  who  let  us  go  on  when  we  said  it  was  the 
French  Ambassadress.  We  were  shown  at  once  into  Sir 
Charles's  room,  and  I  must  say  he  was  charming,  most 
kind  and  courteous.  We  had  arranged  beforehand  that 
I  was  to  be  spokeswoman,  and  I  went  at  once  to  the 
point.  He  was  sitting  at  his  table  with  letters  and  papers 
and  telegrams,  the  telegraph  ticking  all  the  time,  de- 
spatches and  telegrams  being  brought  in,  and  as  busy  a 
man  as  I  ever  saw.  He  immediately  sent  for  maps  of 
the  route,  distribution  of  the  troops,  etc.,  and  said  he 
thought  he  could  manage  it.  We  must  have  a  light  car- 
riage (of  course  we  must  go  to  the  Abbey  in  state  in  the 
gala  coach)  waiting  at  the  Poets'  Corner,  as  near  the 
door  as  it  can  get;  he  will  send  us  a  pass  to  break  through 
the  lines,  and  will  have  three  or  four  policemen  waiting 
for  us  at  the  corner  of  Piccadilly  and  one  of  the  smaller 
streets  to  pass  us  through  the  crowd.     We  really  didn't 


1887]  JUBILEE  STREET   SCENES  247 

derange  him  very  much.  The  whole  conversation  lasted 
about  ten  minutes,  and  he  was  rather  amused  at  this 
sudden  appearance  of  the  two  "femmes  du  monde"  in  his 
''milieu"  of  clerks,  policemen,  telegraph  boys,  type-writ- 
ers and  a  hurrying,  bustling  crowd  of  employes  of  all 
kinds.  We  returned  triumphant  to  our  respective 
houses. 

We  had  a  fine  reception  last  night  at  the  Austrian  Em- 
bassy in  honour  of  Prince  Rudolph.  We  arrived  late, 
having  dined  out.  The  Prince  is  very  good-looking, 
slight,  elegant  figure,  and  charming  manners  and  smile. 
All  the  world  was  there — quantities  of  pretty  women, 
and  pretty  dresses — the  Countess  Karolyi  always  the 
handsomest, 

London, 
June  20,  1887. 

London  is  really  a  sight  to-day,  the  streets  gay  with 
flags,  draperies,  stands,  illuminations,  and  quantities  of 
people  gaping  all  day  long.  I  went  for  a  drive  with 
Mary  Sheridan,  daughter  of  Mr.  Motley,  late  Minister 
from  the  United  States  to  the  Court  of  St.  James.  We 
didn't  attempt  going  down  Piccadilly,  as  we  saw  what  a 
dense  crowd  and  block  there  w^as,  so  we  crossed  to  Con- 
stitution Hill.  We  went  all  round  Westminster  Abbey; 
I  wanted  to  see  the  Poets'  Corner  where  we  are  to  go  in 
to-morrow,  and  the  House  of  Commons  stand  where  she 
is  to  be  with  her  sister.  We  were  blocked  for  a  quarter 
of  an  hour  standing  close  to  the  Embankment.  Some 
of  the  mottoes  are  very  nice.  I  like  the  humble  ones  best, 
"God  bless  our  Queen."  We  were  a  long  time  getting 
back  to  the  Embassy,  Piccadilly  almost  impassable.  It 
was  amusing,  as  everyone  w^as  arranging  their  balconies, 
and  we  recognised  various  friends  standing  at  windows, 
and  on  balconies  directing  the  arrangement  of  chairs, 


248    LETTERS  OF  A  DIPLOMAT'S  WIFE   Qune 

plants,  flags,  etc.  After  dinner  W.  took  his  cigar  and  we 
walked  about  a  little  in  Piccadilly.  Some  of  the  illumina- 
tions had  already  begun  and  the  crowd  was  dense,  but 
no  jostling  or  roughs,  everyone  good-humoured  and 
wildly  interested  in  the  decorations.  London  is  trans- 
formed for  the  moment  and  looks  like  a  great  continental 
city,  all  lights  and  flags  and  an  ''air  de  fete."  We  didn't 
stay  out  very  late,  as  we  have  a  long  day  before  us  to- 
morrow. They  say  the  Queen  is  well,  but  rather  "emue" 
and  a  little  nervous,  which  must  be  expected.  I  shall 
wear  white,  the  only  objection  to  that  being  that  jewels 
won't  show  out,  as  they  would  on  a  darker  colour. 


To  H.  L.  K. 

Albert  Gate,  London, 
June  22,  1887. 

I  am  still  exhausted,  Dear,  with  the  visions  of  a  brill- 
iant, motley,  moving  crowd,  when  I  shut  my  eyes.  Yes- 
terday was  beautiful,  a  glorious  summer  day.  I  was 
waked  up  at  6.30  by  the  dull  rumble  of  carriages,  and 
people  already  on  the  move.  I  thought  they  must  have 
forgotten  to  call  me,  but  the  house  was  still  wrapped  in 
slumber,  and  though  it  was  only  6.30  the  Park  was  full  of 
carriages,  men  in  uniform  and  women  in  full  dress.  We 
started  at  9.30  in  the  gala  carriage,  W.  in  uniform,  and 
were  followed  by  a  second  carriage,  landau,  the  men 
equally  in  gala.  We  remained  blocked  for  a  long  time  in 
Piccadilly,  it  didn't  seem  possible  to  get  on;  distracted 
policemen,  mounted  and  on  foot,  and  officers  did  what 
they  could,  but  there  we  remained,  curiously  enough 
all  the  Ambassadors'  carriages  together.  Finally  an  or- 
der was  given  to  let  the  Ambassadors'  carriages  pass, 
and  we  got  on  a  little.     Various  Court  carriages  passed 


18871  IN  WESTMINSTER  ABBEY  249 

us —one  so  pretty  with  the  three  little  daughters  of  the 
Duke  of  Edinburgh  all  in  white  with  straw  hats,  and  long 
white  feathers,  sitting  on  the  back  seat,  and  smiling  and 
bowing,  and  looking  quite  charming  with  their  fair  hair 
streaming  down  their  backs.  They  had  an  equerry  in 
uniform  with  them  on  the  front  seat.  Once  past  St. 
James's  Street  we  went  quickly  enough  thro'  long  lines 
of  soldiers,  and  behind  them  quantities  of  people  waiting 
patiently  to  see  the  great  show.  We  went  into  the 
Abbey  at  the  Poets'  Corner,  where  an  entrance  was  re- 
served for  the  Corps  Diplomatique  and  Court  function- 
aries. It  was  a  fine  sight;  tier  upon  tier  of  seats  covered 
with  red  cloth  and  filled  with  men  in  uniform,  and  women 
in  handsome  dresses.  The  Peers  and  Peeresses  sat  just 
below  us  and  looked  very  well;  as  it  was  Collar  Day,  all 
the  Garter  men  wore  their  white  shoulder-knots,  which 
were  most  effective.  It  was  very  difficult  to  distinguish 
people,  the  building  is  so  enormous,  but  as  we  were  close 
to  the  dais  we  saw  all  the  Royalties  perfectly.  At  last 
various  members  of  the  Royal  Family  came  in,  and  the 
first  Sovereign  to  enter  was  Her  Majesty  of  the  Sand- 
wich Islands  with  her  cortege;  then  came  quickly  the 
King  of  the  Belgians,  King  of  Denmark,  various  other 
Princes,  and  they  all  took  their  places  on  a  platform  fac- 
ing the  Queen's  dais.  We  waited  some  time,  and  then 
came  a  flourish  of  trumpets  which  announced  the 
Queen's  arrival.  It  was  most  interesting  to  see  her  come 
up  the  aisle — quite  alone  in  front — her  three  sons,  Wales, 
Edinburgh,  and  Connaught,  just  behind  her.  She  was 
dressed  in  black  with  silver  embroidery,  a  white  lace  bon- 
net with  feathers,  and  lace  caught  back  by  diamond  pins. 
As  she  reached  the  dais  she  stepped  on  it  quite  alone,  and 
advancing  to  the  front  made  a  pretty  curtsey  to  the  as- 
sembled Royalties.     Then,  came  a  long,  procession  ol 


250    LETTERS   OF  A   DIPLOMAT'S  WIFE   [June 

family  Princes,  headed  by  the  Prince  of  Wales  and  the 
German  Crown  Prince,  who  looked  magnificent  in  his 
white  uniform,  and  the  Princess  of  Wales  and  the  Ger- 
man Crown  Princess.  They  all  passed  before  the  Queen, 
and  it  was  most  striking  to  see  her  seated  there,  a 
quiet  figure  dressed  in  black,  very  composed  and  smil- 
ing, yet  "emue"  too,  as  the  long  line  of  children  and 
grandchildren  representing  all  Europe  passed  to  do  her 
homage.  It  was  a  gorgeous  crowd  of  uniforms,  orders, 
jewels,  and  really  glittering  garments  of  all  kinds;  but 
every  eye  was  fixed  on  the  central  figure.  The  service 
began  at  once  and  was  impressive.  The  Prince  Con- 
sort's *Te  Deum"  sounded  magnificent  with  organ  and 
full  band.  I  must  own  to  considerable  distraction  dur- 
ing the  service,  as  I  was  quite  taken  up  with  looking  at 
everything.  When  the  ceremony  was  over — or  nearly 
— we  started  at  once,  found  our  carriage  (ordinary 
landau)  at  the  Poets'  Corner  again,  and  drove  quickly 
around  by  Belgravia  and  Albert  Gate  (breaking  the  lines 
of  troops  once  or  twice,  but  with  no  difificulty,  as  orders 
had  been  given),  to  the  corner  of  Hamilton  Place  and 
Piccadilly.  There  we  had  to  leave  the  carriage,  but  it 
was  merely  a  few  steps  to  my  friend's  house  where  we 
were  to  see  the  procession  pass;  however  we  should 
never  have  got  there  if  we  hadn't  found  the  4  gigantic 
policemen  who  were  waiting  for  us,  and  who  deposited 
us  rather  pulled  about,  but  intact,  at  the  door.  We 
found  the  balcony  prettily  decorated  and  filled  with 
people,  and  had  an  excellent  view  of  the  procession.  The 
Queen's  carriage  was  handsome,  an  open  landau  red  and 
gold,  with  six  cream-coloured  horses  with  red  and  gold 
trappings,  and  running  footmen.  She  was  alone  on  the 
back  seat;  the  Princesses  of  Wales  and  Germany  on  the 
front  seat.     The  escort  of  Princes  was  very  brilliant. 


Queen  Victoria,  in  the  Dress  Worn  During  the  State  Jubilee  Celebration,  June  21,  1887. 
From  a  photograph,  copyright,  by  Hughes  &  Mullins,  Ryde,  England. 


1887]  THE  PROCESSION  251 

The  Prince  of  Wales  looked  well  on  a  fine  horse,  and  the 
German  Crown  Prince  superb,  towering  over  everyone 
else,  and  his  helmet  shining  in  the  bright  sunlight.  The 
cheering  was  tremendous  as  the  Queen  passed,  and  one 
felt  it  was  absolutely  genuine  (nothing  commande),  her 
people  (I  always  like  that  phrase  so  much,  "My  people," 
when  she  uses  it  in  a  speech  or  proclamation)  really  de- 
lighted to  have  her  still  with  them.  Another  who  also 
was  much  cheered  was  Princess  Mary  of  Teck.  They 
love  her,  and  she  looked  so  happy  and  smiling  as  she  ac- 
knowledged the  salutation.  She  has  such  a  gracious 
manner  always  to  everyone — never  seems  bored.  How- 
ever I  must  say  that  for  the  Prince  of  Wales;  no  matter 
what  the  function  is  (and  he  must  be  bored  very  often) 
he  never  looks  it,  but  always  does  graciously,  and  as  if 
he  liked  it,  whatever  he  undertakes.  There  was  a  very 
substantial  lunch  provided  for  us  at  Lady  Borthwick's, 
and  as  soon  as  the  cortege  disappeared  I  clamoured  for 
something  to  eat,  as  it  was  nearly  3.30,  and  I  had  had 
nothing  to  eat  but  my  early  cup  of  tea  and  piece  of 
toast  about  8.30.  I  went  straight  back  to  the  Embassy 
after  luncheon — even  then,  at  4  o'clock,  we  had  to  go 
at  a  foot's  pace  thro'  the  crowd — and  I  didn't  stir  again 
all  the  afternoon,  biit  I  had  visitors  at  tea-time,  as  of 
course  the  windows  and  balconies  giving  on  the  Park 
were  most  attractive.  There  were  thousands  of  people 
still  in  the  Park,  and  Royal  carriages  and  escorts  coming 
and  going;  music,  flags,  and  a  general  impression  of 
movement  and  colour  everywhere. 

In  the  evening  we  started  at  10  for  the  Palace,  and 
they  thought  there  would  be  such  a  crowd  that  we  had  a 
mounted  policeman,  but  we  had  no  trouble.  Everyone 
made  way  for  the  carriage,  though,  of  course,  the  general 
trafific  was  stopped,  and  everybody  (including  our  own 


252    LETTERS  OF  A  DIPLOMAT'S  WIFE   Qunr 

secretaries,  who  weren't  invited  to  the  Palace,  merely 
the  "chefs  de  mission")  in  the  middle  of  the  streets,  look- 
ing at  the  illuminations.  There  was  great  confusion  at 
the  Palace — dinners  still  going  on  and  servants  hurrying 
backward  and  forward  with  dishes,  and  piles  of  plates  on 
the  floor  as  we  passed  through  the  long  corridor.  We 
had  to  pass  through  the  great  hall  where  the  numerous 
''suites"  were  dining — and  we  naturally  hesitated  a  mo- 
ment as  they  were  still  at  table — but  Colonel  Byng  came 
forward  and  ushered  us  upstairs,  and  into  one  of  the 
large  rooms.  There  were  very  few  people — the  "chefs 
de  mission,"  the  Nunzio  who  had  come  expressly,  Lord 
and  Lady  Salisbury,  and  Lord  C,  Indian  Secretary 
(as  there  were  many  Indian  Princes).  We  waited  nearly 
an  hour  and  were  then  summoned  to  the  ball-room, 
where  the  Queen  and  Court  were  assembled.  The 
Queen  was  standing,  dressed  just  as  she  always  is  for 
a  Drawing-room,  with  her  small  diamond  crown  and 
veil,  and  again  the  background  of  Princes  and  uni- 
forms made  a  striking  contrast  to  the  one  black-robed 
figure.  The  Prince  of  Wales  stood  a  little  behind,  on 
her  right,  also  Lord  Lathom  (Lord  Chamberlain).  We 
all  passed  before  her,  two  by  two,  with  our  husbands,  and 
she  said  a  few  words  to  each  one,  but  no  real  conversa- 
tion ;  it  was  evidently  an  efYort,  and  we  felt  we  must  not 
stay  a  moment  longer  than  necessary.  I  talked  to  one 
or  two  people  while  the  others  were  passing.  The  Ger- 
man Crown  Princess  came  over  and  talked  to  us.  I 
asked  her  if  the  Queen  was  very  tired.  She  said  not 
nearly  as  much  as  she  expected,  it  was  more  the  anticipa- 
tion of  the  day  that  had  made  her  nervous,  that  she  was 
very  agitated  when  she  started,  but  that  wore  off,  and 
she  was  not  very  tired  this  evening,  and  very  happy,  as 
were  all  her   children.     I    said,    "You   might   add   her 


»887]  THE  CHILDREN'S  FETE  253 

people,  Madam,  for  I  never  saw  such  a  splendid  outburst 
of  loyalty."  The  Crown  Princess  herself  is  perfectly  de- 
lightful, so  clever  and  cultivated,  and  so  easy,  with  such 
beautiful,  clear,  smiling  eyes.  Do  you  remember  how 
much  I  admired  her  in  Rome  the  first  time  I  met  her? 
She  is  always  so  kind  to  us.  W.  loves  to  talk  to  her; 
they  don't  always  agree,  but  she  quite  understands  people 
having  their  own  opinions,  rather  prefers  it,  I  think,  as 
she  must  necessarily  be  so  often  thrown  with  people  who 
never  venture  to  disagree  with  her.  The  Crown  Prince 
of  Sweden  also  came  and  recalled  himself  to  me,  and  the 
Due  d'Aoste.  The  Queen  remained  about  an  hour;  then 
the  Royal  party  moved  off  in  procession,  and  we  got  our 
carriages  as  quickly  as  we  could.  I  have  written  you  a 
volume  (but  you  must  say  that  doesn't  happen  often  from 
my  lazy  pen,  but  I  felt  I  must  write  at  once,  or  I  should 
never  have  the  courage).  Please  send  the  letter  to  the 
family  in  x\merica.  I  am  dead  tired,  and  my  eyes  shut- 
ting by  themselves. 

London,  June  22,  1887. 
We  went  this  afternoon  with  the  Florians,  Comte  de 
Florian,  Secretary  of  the  Embassy,  and  Comtesse  de 
Florian,  Francis,  Baroness  Hilda  Deichmann  and  her 
children  and  some  of  the  Embassy  men,  to  the  chil- 
dren's fete  in  Hyde  Park.  It  was  very  pretty,  and  very 
well  arranged;  30,000  children  from  all  parts  of  Lon- 
don, and  amusements,  food,  and  jubilee  mugs  provided 
for  all.  We  got  there  a  little  after  3,  and  it  was  warm 
and  fatiguing  standing  and  walking  about.  There  were 
various  refreshment  tents  for  the  "quality  committee," 
etc.,  and  the  children  got  iced  cream  and  cakes  to  their 
hearts'  content,  also  each  a  jubilee  mug  with  which  they 
were  much  pleased.    The  Prince  and  Princess  of  Wales, 


254    LETTERS  OF  A  DIPLOMAT'S  WIFE   Qunb 

with  some  of  the  foreign  Princes,  came  about  4  (and 
horribly  bored  the  foreigners  looked — naturally).  We 
stood  and  walked  about  until  6,  when  the  Queen  arrived. 
Her  procession  was  rather  pretty,  just  a  troop  of 
mounted  police,  then  the  Life  Guards,  the  Indian 
contingent,  and  the  Queen  in  an  open  carriage  with 
4  horses,  the  postilions  in  black,  and  two  Highland 
servants  in  costume  behind.  The  Crown  Princess  of 
Germany,  Princess  Christian,  and  Duke  of  Edinburgh 
in  the  carriage  with  her;  and  the  Duke  of  Cambridge 
(Ranger  of  the  Park)  riding  at  the  portiere.  Several 
Royal  carriages  followed,  all  the  women  in  smart 
clothes,  and  the  men  in  uniform,  as  the  Queen  was 
to  make  her  formal  Jubilee  entree  into  Windsor  on 
leaving  London  after  the  fete.  There  was  such  a  press 
and  jostling  when  the  Queen  came — even  the  women 
pushing  and  struggling  to  get  to  the  front,  that  I  should 
have  been  nearly  crushed  with  the  two  children  (I  had 
Hilda  and  Francis  with  me)  if  Prince  Hermann  of  Saxe- 
Weimar  hadn't  recognised  me  and  come  to  my  rescue. 
He  is  very  tall  and  broad,  so  he  made  way  for  me,  put  the 
children  in  front,  and  then  stood  behind  me  so  that  no  one 
could  get  at  me.  I  must  say  it  was  a  fine  struggle,  the 
ladies  used  their  arms  valiantly.  A  small  slight  woman 
would  have  had  no  show  at  all.  The  Queen  didn't  get 
out  of  her  carriage.  The  Prince  stood  bareheaded  at  the 
carriage  door  all  the  time  the  Queen  was  there,  and  va- 
rious people  were  brought  up  and  presented  to  her.  I 
found  plenty  of  people  to  talk  to,  among  others  the  Ger- 
man Crown  Prince,  who  they  say  is  in  a  very  bad  way; 
he  doesn't  look  changed,  perhaps  a  little  thinner,  but  the 
voice  has  gone.  He  spoke  in  a  whisper.  He  noticed  the 
children,  said  Francis  was  very  like  his  father.  I  told 
him  Hilda  was  a  little  compatriote.  and  named  her  to  him. 


Q 

M 

1 

4 

■    !  "  ■" 

' 

The  Crown  Prince  Frederick  of  Germany,  in  the  Uni- 
form Worn  by  Him  at  the  Jubilee  Celebration,  Lon- 
don, June,  1887. 

From  a  photograph  by  Loescher  &  Petsch,  Berlin. 


1887]     A  BALL  AT  LANSDOWNE  HOUSE     255 

He  knows  her  parents  well.  The  Queen  was  much 
cheered  as  she  drove  off ;  then  there  were  more  cheers  for 
the  Prince,  who  acknowledged  them  most  graciously,  as 
he  does  always.  We  had  again  rather  a  struggle  to  get 
through  the  crowd  and  across  to  the  Embassy,  and  then 
at  6.30  I  had  some  tea,  got  into  a  tea-gown,  and  refused 
to  move  again.  W.  tried  to  entice  me  to  the  Foreign 
Office  where  there  was  a  big  reception,  but  I  was  utterly 
incapable  of  another  word  (the  heat  always  tries  me  so); 
so  he  departed  sadly,  but  didn't  stay  long — merely 
showed  himself.  He  said  the  crowd  was  awful,  and  Lord 
Cranborne,  the  son  of  the  house,  in  a  wild  state  on  the 
stairs,  with  his  supper  list,  as  he  couldn't  find  half  the 
people.  W.  told  him  not  to  worry  about  us,  as  he  was 
going  home,  and  I  was  in  bed. 


To  H.  L.  K. 

London, 
June  24,  1887. 

Yesterday  I  had  rather  a  quiet  day,  I  was  still  so  dead 
tired  after  the  children's  fete.  Jean  and  I  drove  about 
in  the  afternoon.  She  wanted  to  see  the  ''Black 
Queen,"  as  the  Queen  of  the  Sandwich  Islands  is  called, 
and  we  crossed  her  once  or  twice  driving  in  the  Park. 
It  does  look  funny  to  see  her  sitting  up  in  the  Royal  car- 
riage with  red  liveries.  We  had  a  beautiful  ball  last 
night,  given  by  Lord  and  Lady  Rosebery  at  Lansdowne 
House  for  all  the  Royalties.  The  House  was  beautifully 
arranged;  the  ballroom  panelled  half  way  up  the  wall 
with  red  roses  and  green  leaves.  I  danced  a  quadrille  with 
the  King  of  Greece,  who  is  easy  and  talks  a  great  deal; 
he  speaks  English  perfectly  well.     He  asked  about  the 


256    LETTERS  OF  A  DIPLOMATS  WIFE   [June 

Schuylers,  and  spoke  most  warmly  of  them — said  Schuy- 
ler was  one  of  the  few  perfectly  intelligent  men  he  had 
ever  met,  "knew  everything  about  everything."  I  must 
write  it  to  them.  The  supper  w^as  very  well  arranged, 
small  tables  of  eight  or  ten.  Almost  all  the  Royalties 
were  there,  but  not  the  Hawaiian  Queen.  I  asked  our 
host  why  he  hadn't  invited  Queen  Kapiolani;  but  he  said 
he  really  couldn't.  The  ball  was  small,  and  Lady  Rose- 
bery  left  out  many  of  her  friends,  who  naturally  were  not 
pleased.  W.  actually  stayed  to  supper — I  was  so  sur- 
prised, as  he  hates  it. 

June  24,  1887. 

This  afternoon  all  the  swells  went  to  Ranelagh  to  see 
a  polo  match,  but  I  thought  I  would  reserve  myself  for 
the  Palace  Ball.  The  Queen  didn't  appear,  but  we  had 
two  others,  the  Queen  of  the  Belgians,  and  always  Kapi- 
olani. It  was  badly  managed  at  first,  the  result  being  that 
when  the  Court  came  we  had  a  crowd  of  people,  officers, 
pages,  etc.,  about  four  deep  in  front  of  us,  so  that  we 
could  neither  see  nor  be  seen,  nor  hardly  move.  When 
the  first  "quadrille  d'honneur"  was  being  danced  we  saw 
nothing,  so  after  a  consultation  we  all  left  the  ball-room. 
Then  there  were  various  "pourparlers,"  and  they  finally 
did  what  they  should  have  done  at  first,  enlarged  the 
circle,  so  that  we  were  out  of  the  crowd  and  near  the 
Court.  There  was  also  a  great  rush  at  supper,  so  that  they 
had  to  shut  one  door  for  a  moment.  I  didn't  see  many 
people  to  talk  to,  but  of  course  it  was  very  difficult.  The 
Grand  Duchess  Serge  looked  beautiful,  with  splendid  em- 
eralds (she  is  the  daughter  of  Princess  Alice),  and  the 
Duchesse  de  Braganza  (daughter  of  the  Comte  de  Paris) 
was  charming,  so  very  high-bred,  tall  and  slight,  with  a 
pretty  little  dark  head.     I  always  find  the  Princess  of 


1887]  REVIEW  OF  THE  VOLUNTEERS      257 

Wales  the  most  distinguished  looking.  She  stands  out 
everywhere.  Our  ''Doyenne,"  Countess  Karolyi,  was 
superb— also  with  magnificent  jewels.  The  Indian 
Princes  made  a  great  show,  of  course,  with  their  silk, 
heavily  embroidered  tuniques,  and  the  quantities  of  jew- 
els, but  they  are  not  often  well  cut,  nor  well  set,  and  they 
themselves  are  certainly  off  color— they  look  barbarians, 
and  have  such  false  faces — I  wouldn't  trust  one  of  them. 

London, 
July  3,  1887. 
It  is  delicious  summer  weather  now,  and  yesterday  we 
went  to  Buckingham  Palace  to  see  the  Queen  review  the 
Volunteers.  I  wore  for  the  first  time  my  Jubilee  Medal. 
It  came  Friday  with  a  note  from  the  Duchess  of  Rox- 
burghe  saying  the  Queen  hoped  I  would  wear  it  as  a 
souvenir  of  her  Jubilee.  It  is  a  plain  little  silver  medal 
about  the  size  of  a  two-shilling  piece,  with  the  Queen's 
head  on  one  side  and  an  inscription  on  the  other,  fastened 
to  a  bow  of  blue  and  white  ribbon.  We  three  Ambas- 
sadresses are  the  only  women  of  the  Corps  Diplomatique 
that  have  it.  All  the  Queen's  household  have  it.  Duch- 
esses of  Bedford,  Buccleuch,  Roxburghe,  etc.  The 
Princesses,  also,  of  course,  but  theirs  are  in  gold. 

It  was  most  amusing  waiting  in  the  courtyard  of  the 
Palace  seeing  everyone  arrive.  All  the  Royalties  took  up 
their  positions  at  the  foot  of  the  Queen's  tribune,  and 
waited  for  her.  Our  tribune  was  on  one  side  of  hers,  and 
one  for  the  Indian  Princes  opposite.  The  Volunteers 
looked  and  passed  very  well;  as  it  was  Saturday  after- 
noon and  the  shops  in  London  are  closed  early  always 
Saturday,  all  the  various  butchers,  bakers,  and  candle- 
stick-makers could  leave  their  shops  and  parade,  and  ex- 
tremely  well   some  of  them  looked;  stout,  heavy  men 


258    LETTERS  OF  A  DIPLOMAT'S  WIFE    Qul^ 

moving  quite  lightly  and  at  ease  in  their  stiff  uniforms. 
It  was  pretty  to  see  the  various  Princes  break  away  from 
their  places  on  the  Duke  of  Cambridge's  staff  and  ride 
ahead  of  the  various  regiments  of  which  they  are  honor- 
ary colonels.  The  Prince  of  Wales  looked  well  on  his 
handsome  chestnut,  which  is  perfectly  trained  and  steps 
beautifully.  The  Duke  of  Connaught  is  a  handsome  sol- 
dier. We  were  a  long  time  getting  away,  but  as  we  had 
no  dinner-party  it  wasn't  of  any  consequence.  It  was 
such  a  pleasure  not  to  put  on  a  low  bodice  and  diamonds. 
I  always  grumble  about  putting  on  my  diadem — as  a  rule 
I  never  wear  anything  in  my  hair,  not  even  feathers  (ex- 
cept at  Court),  and  the  diadem  is  heavy.  After  dinner 
W.  and  I  went  for  a  drive  along  the  Thames  Embank- 
ment— oui  favourite  recreation  after  a  long,  hot  day. 
There  are  still  people  about,  and  a  general  air  of  festivity. 

London, 
July  21,  1887. 

It  is  just  four  years  to-day  since  W.  came  to  London. 
We  got  back  from  Moscow  and  the  Coronation  the  6th, 
and  almost  immediately  the  Minister  offered  W.  London. 
My  "beau-frere"  said  he  would  give  us  two  years  when 
we  came  over.  I  wonder  how  much  longer  it  will  last. 
We  had  a  big  dinner  to-night,  and  Lord  Lathom,  the 
Lord  Chamberlain,  was  next  to  me.  He  said  no  one 
could  imagine  how  difficult  it  had  been  to  arrange  every- 
thing  for  the  Jubilee  ceremonies;  that  the  Queen  was 
consulted  on  every  point,  as  she  knew  more  about 
etiquette  and  court  ceremonies  than  anyone  else.  One 
day  he  had  42  telegrams  from  her.  We  told  him  we 
thought  everything  was  well  managed  (except  the  ball, 
where  all  the  young  officers  crowded  in  front  of  us,  and 
stepped  on  our  toes,  and  on  our  trains).     He  quite  ad- 


I887J  THE  NAVAL  REVIEW  i59 

mitted  that  that  might  have  been  better  done,  but  also 
remarked  that  he  thought  the  Corps  Diplomatique  a  lit- 
tle exacting;  so,  as  usual,  there  are  two  sides  to  every 
question. 

To  H,  L.  K. 

London, 

July  25,  1887. 

We  have  had  a  nice  outing,  Dear,  thanks  to  the  Naval 
Reviev^;  tv^^o  such  beautiful  interesting  days.  I  am 
burned  brown  as  a  berry,  but,  as  the  season  is  over,  that 
is  of  no  consequence,  and  I  shall  have  plenty  of  time  at 
Bourneville  to  bleach.  We  started  Saturday  at  9.30  for 
Portsmouth  with  the  Florians,  Waru,  and  R.,  Naval  At- 
tache, in  a  special  train.  The  harbour  looked  so  pretty 
as  we  came  in  sight  of  it.  Every  description  of  vessel 
(even  the  "Victory,"  Nelson's  old  ship,  now  a  training 
ship),  and  all  sorts  of  ironclads,  big  steamers,  yachts,  and 
the  smallest  sort  of  pleasure-boat,  dressed  with  flags.  We 
went  at  once  on  board  the  "Helicon,"  a  small  despatch 
boat,  especially  destined  to  the  Corps  Diplomatique  and 
distinguished  strangers.  There  were  about  150  people 
on  board,  all  colleagues,  also  the  Arch  Duke  Regnier  of 
Austria,  and  the  two  young  sons  of  the  Due  d'Aoste  with 
their  suites.  Directly  after  us  came  two  great  English 
transports  painted  white,  one  for  the  Lords,  and  one  for 
the  Commons,  and  all  around  us  a  fleet  of  ordinary 
rowing-boats  and  barges  filled  with  people — quanti- 
ties of  women  and  children.  We  steamed  slowly 
across  the  Solent  to  Osborne  to  meet  the  Queen, 
and  passed  close  to  the  great  ironclads,  which  looked 
monsters,  and  formidable  ones.  We  had  a  hand- 
some substantial  lunch  on  board,  to  which  we  all  did 
honour.  There  were  not  many  foreign  ships.  Our 
two  looked  very  well  and  were  much  admired,  an  old 


260    LETTERS  OF  A  DIPLOMAT'S  WIFE    [July 

frigate,  the  "Iphigenie,"  now  a  Jtraining  ship,  with  the 
midshipmen  on  board,  and  the  *'Elan,"  a  pretty  httle  de- 
spatch boat.  There  were  only  two  other  foreign  boats: 
a  German  and  a  Dutchman.  The  Itahan  ships  put  into 
Spithead,  and  then  w^ent  off  to  Dartmouth,  no  one  knows 
why  exactly.  Some  say  they  were  not  satisfied  with  their 
place  (they  arrived  after  the  French  ships,  and  would 
have  been  decidedly  farther  off,  and  behind  ours),  others 
that  they  were  not  in  good  condition,  not  smart  enough ; 
however,  they  were  not  there  and  the  Italian  Princesses 
who  had  expected  to  sleep  on  board,  and  meet  their 
brother  who  is  on  one  of  the  ships,  were  much  disgusted. 
As  soon  as  the  "Osborne,"  with  the  Queen,  the  Prince  of 
Wales,  and  the  King  of  Greece  (we  didn't  understand 
the  Greek  flag  at  first,  as  we  didn't  know  the  King  was 
on  board),  had  passed,  we  followed  and  went  down  the 
line.  It  was  a  beautiful  sight,  and  England  could  cer- 
tainly be  proud  of  her  great  ironclads  filling  the  harbour, 
and  showing  her  strength  as  a  naval  power.  We  went 
slowly,  and  it  was  amusing  to  hear  the  criticisms  and 
appreciations  of  all  the  assembled  foreigners  on  the  show 
— ^however,  I  suppose  all  ironclads  now  are  pretty  much 
alike,  only  England  happens  to  have  three  times  as  many 
as  any  of  the  rest  of  us.  About  6  o'clock  there  was  a 
halt.  We  of  course  had  tea  on  deck,  and  suddenly  we 
saw  quantities  of  steam  launches  coming  across  the  water 
in  all  directions.  They  looked  like  enormous  white  birds 
in  the  distance.  They  were  almost  all  white,  low  in  the 
water,  and  going  very  fast.  The  captains  of  all  the  ships 
had  been  called  on  board  the  Queen's  yacht  to  be  received 
by  her.  This  made  a  long  delay,  and  our  colleagues  were 
getting  impatient,  as  they  foresaw  that  they  would  be 
very  late  in  getting  back  to  London.  We  took  that  op- 
portunity to  ask  the  Captain  of  the  "Helicon"  to  bear 


1887]  ON   BOARD  THE  IPHIGENIE  261 

down  toward  the  'Iphigenie,"  as  we  were  to  dine  and 
sleep  on  board.  We  changed  our  course  a  little,  and  in 
about  10  minutes  two  very  smart  French  boats  ran  along- 
side, coming  up  in  grand  style.  The  three  English  offi- 
cers stood  on  the  bridge  and  helped  us  off,  and  I  must  say 
it  was  all  done  admirably — not  the  slightest  confusion, 
and  we  were  a  big  party.  Our  fellow-passengers  de- 
cidedly envied  us.  The  Bylandts  (Dutch  Minister)  were 
much  put  out.  They  had  asked  the  Captain  of  their  ship 
to  let  them  dine  and  sleep  on  board,  but  he  refused  ab- 
solutely ;  said  he  had  just  arrived  from  a  long  cruise,  and 
was  not  prepared  to  receive  anyone.  We  got  to  the 
'Tphigenie"  in  about  15  minutes.  The  Commandant, 
Noccomore,  was  standing  on  the  bridge.  W.  got  out 
first,  then  T.,  and  as  soon  as  W.  put  his  foot  on  the 
deck,  where  all  the  sailors,  officers,  and  midshipmen  were 
drawn  up,  there  was  a  salute  of  drums  and  clarions  (they 
couldn't  give  the  regular  salute  of  guns  to  the  Ambas- 
sador, as,  when  the  Queen  is  in  the  harbour,  no  one  else 
can  be  saluted).  The  Commandant  gave  me  his  arm, 
and  we  went  at  once  to  his  quarters  (or  rather  "carre,"  as 
they  say  on  board  ship).  We  passed  through  a  fine  room 
or  hall,  the  entire  width  of  the  frigate,  where  a  good-sized 
dinner-table  was  ready.  The  Commandant  asked  when 
we  would  dine;  we  said  in  a  "quart  d'heure,"  just  the  time 
to  wash  our  faces,  which  were  black  with  smoke  and  red 
with  sun,  and  he  showed  W.  and  me  our  quarters  (his 
of  course),  and  most  comfortable.  The  cabin  large, 
with  a  wardrobe,  and  a  large  ''cabinet  de  toilette,"  with 
English  wash-stand,  bath-room,  etc.  For  one  person  it 
was  perfectly  roomy.  Of  course  when  a  second  bed  was 
put  in  the  ''cabinet  de  toilette"  it  was  a  little  small. 
Mmes.  de  Florian  and  Heurtel  had  the  second  officer's 
cabin,  and  the  men  hammocks  in  some  part  of  the  ship. 


262    LETTERS  OF  A  DIPLOMAT'S  WIFE    Uuly 

The  dinner  was  good  and  handsome.  I  had  the 
"Aumonier"  on  the  other  side  of  me.  He  was  intelli- 
gent, ready  to  talk  about  anything,  and  the  dinner  was 
very  agreeable.  Plenty  of  talk.  W.  talked  a  great  deal, 
and  the  naval  officers  were  interesting,  as  they  always 
are.  They  have  seen  so  much,  and  had  such  varied  ex- 
periences. After  dinner  we  had  coffee  in  the  Command- 
ant's salon,  and  then  went  on  deck,  where  we  spent  a 
delightful  evening.  The  sea  was  perfectly  calm,  not  a 
ripple,  and  lights  everywhere — all  the  ships  illuminated 
and  sending  off  fireworks  at  intervals.  We  could  hardly 
see  our  own,  but  the  little  ''Elan"  looked  very  smart  and 
natty.  We  broke  up  about  ii,  and  I  don't  know  when 
I  have  enjoyed  anything  so  much  as  that  perfectly  quiet 
summer  night  on  the  water;  such  a  rest  after  the  long 
day,  and  early  start  from  London.  We  promised  to  be 
ready  at  a  quarter  to  lo  for  Mass,  and  the  visit  of  the 
ship.  You  would  have  been  amused  to  see  how  well 
Drejet  did  my  service  (they  asked  me  if  I  could  do  with- 
out my  maid  for  one  night,  as  they  really  didn't  know 
what  to  do  with  her).  He  told  Adelaide  he  could  do 
everything  for  me  except  my  hair,  and  tying  my  sash, 
which  seemed  to  be  a  serious  performance  to  him,  and 
really  all  my  dressing  things  were  put  out  and  a  "saut  de 
lit"  disposed  gracefully  over  the  back  of  a  chair  just  as 
A.  always  did.  I  supposed  she  coached  him.  I  was  stir- 
ring early  enough  the  next  morning,  but  I  couldn't  tie  my 
sash  either,  so  I  wandered  out  on  the  deck  to  have  my 
early  tea,  and  Countess  de  Florian  helped  me  to  finish 
my  toilette.  We  went  all  over  the  ship  before  Mass. 
The  midshipmen's  quarters  are  small,  but  of  course  beau- 
tifully kept,  and  the  young  men  all  looked  as  smiling 
and  prosperous  as  possible,  and  were  much  pleased  at  the 
Ambassador's  visit.     At  lo  o'clock  we  assembled  on  deck 


Comtesse  de  Florian. 

From  a  photoifraph  by  AValery,  London. 


1887]  MASS  ON  BOARD  SHIP  263 

for  Mass.  Part  of  the  deck  was  covered  in  with  flags, 
and  as  a  compliment  to  my  nationality  they  had  put  the 
"Stars  and  Stripes"  immediately  over  my  head.  I  was 
much  pleased,  as  it  is  a  good  many  years  since  I  have  sat 
under  the  old  flag.  I  suppose  I  can't  say  my  Hag  any 
more,  but  I  feel  it  all  the  same.  There  were  three  arm- 
chairs directly  in  front  of  the  altar — two  big  ones  for 
W.  and  me  and  a  smaller  one  between  for  the  Command- 
ant. As  soon  as  we  were  seated  the  Abbe  came,  made  a 
bow  to  W.  and  me,  and  began  his  Mass.  It  was  very 
impressive — so  still,  not  a  sound  except  the  little  waves 
beating  against  the  side  of  the  ship,  and  the  word  of 
command  for  the  marines  at  the  raising  of  the  Host,  when 
there  was  a  fine  salute  of  drums  and  bugles.  We  had  a 
very  gay  breakfast,  the  Captain  of  the  "Elan"  coming 
to  join  us,  and  at  i  o'clock  we  left  our  hospitable  frigate 
for  the  "Elan"  which  was  going  to  cruise  about  with  us 
all  the  afternoon.  They  certainly  received  us  most  hos- 
pitably and  charmingly;  I  shall  often  think  of  those 
quiet  hours  on  the  deck,  and  the  Mass  this  morning,  which 
impressed  me  very  much.  We  had  a  lovely  afternoon  on 
the  "Elan,"  practically  doing  the  Review  over  again,  and 
going  close  up  to  the  big  ironclads,  such  ugly,  heavy 
masses  as  they  seem  when  one  is  near  them.  We  crossed 
over  to  Cowes,  went  alongside  of  the  Prince  of  Wales' 
yacht,  but  didn't  stop.  The  captain  gave  us  an  interest- 
ing account  of  their  reception  on  the  "Osborne."  It 
seems  there  was  some  mistake  in  the  orders  brought  by 
the  Aide-de-Camp  of  the  Admiral  of  the  Fleet.  The 
Commandant  of  the  "Iphigenie"  thought  he  could 
take  several  officers  with  him,  and  when  he  appeared 
on  the  "Osborne"  with  5  or  6  officers,  the  Admiral 
was  much  embarrassed,  and  didn't  know  what  to  do, 
as  the  Queen  intended  to  receive  only  the  Command- 


264    LETTERS   OF  A  DIPLOMAT'S  WIFE    [Juo 

ants.  However  the  Prince  of  Wales,  with  his  never- 
failing  tact,  said  he  would  put  it  all  right,  and  in  a 
few  moments  they  were  told  that  the  Queen  would 
be  very  pleased  to  receive  all  the  French  officers. 
They  told  us  they  saw  a  lady  in  deep  mourning,  with 
perfectly  white  hair,  standing  behind  the  Queen,  who 
looked  so  earnestly  at  the  French  uniforms,  and  was 
agitated  when  they  passed;  they  only  realised  afterward 
that  it  was  the  Empress.*  I  w^onder  if  I  shall  ever  see 
her,  I  would  like  to  so  much.  We  dined  on  board, 
anchored  just  off  Portsmouth,  and  got  back  to  London 
about  II  o'clock,  having  enjoyed  our  two  days  im- 
mensely. It  was  a  beautiful  ending  to  the  Jubilee,  and 
a  beautiful  sight.  The  "cadre"  was  so  lovely  for  all 
those  big  ships.  All  the  line  of  the  Isle  of  Wight  is  so 
pretty,  beautifully  green,  and  the  Solent  covered  with 
boats  of  all  descriptions,  and  plenty  of  room  for  all. 
Some  of  the  small  row-boats  seemed  dangerously  near 
the  big  steamers,  but  nothing  ever  happened.  When  I 
get  back  to  Bourneville  and  take  up  my  quiet  life  in  the 
woods,  these  last  days  will  seem  a  sort  of  fairy-tale. 

London, 
July  29,  1887. 

We  are  starting  to-morrow.  I  had  a  farewell  ride  this 
morning,  hardly  anyone  in  the  Row,  Dandy  going  beau- 
tifully (you  know  he  is  the  chestnut  I  called  after  the 
famous  horse  in  one  of  Charlie's  stories),  except  a  good 
kick  from  time  to  time,  which  is  a  bore,  not  only  for  me 
(I  lost  my  hat  the  other  day),  but  for  the  neighbours. 
We  dined  at  Lord  A.'s  last  night,  and  he  gave  us  a  funny 
account  of  his  experience  on  the  House  of  Lords  boat. 

♦  Empress  Eugenie,  widow  of  Napoleon  III.,  who  has  liyed  in  England 
for  many  years. 


1887]        UNFORTUNATE    EXPERIENCES         265 

To  begin  with  he  had  much  difficulty  in  getting  tickets, 
and  could  get  none  for  his  daughters,  only  himself  and 
Lady  A.  (and  he  is  Hereditary  Lord  Chamberlain),  and 
when  he  finally  did  get  on  the  boat  he  found  it  crowded 
with  all  sorts  of  unknown  people,  very  few  peers,  and 
very  little  food.  They  were  faint  with  hunger  before 
the  end  of  the  day,  so  I  told  him  about  our  handsome 
dinner  and  hospitable  reception  on  our  frigate.  Bylandt 
then  told  us  how  badly  they  fared.  They  cruised  about 
for  some  time  in  the  "Helicon"  after  we  got  off,  then 
finally  the  passengers  begged  to  be  landed.  They  were  at 
last  deposited  at  Portsmouth,  and  then  made  a  rush  for 
the  buffet  in  the  railway  station,  but  that  had  been  com- 
pletely "devalise,"  there  wasn't  a  crumb,  not  even  a  dry 
biscuit.  Then  they  were  conducted  with  much  pomp  to 
reserved  carriages  which  were  locked,  and  there  they  re- 
mained for  over  an  hour,  seeing  various  trains  start,  and 
at  last  arrived  in  London  at  one  o'clock  in  the  morning. 
Poor  Bylandt  was  much  disgusted.  We  thought  a  little 
of  asking  to  keep  the  "Elan"  for  a  week,  and  of  doing  the 
Cowes  week,  but  W.  thought  on  the  whole  it  would  be 
close  quarters,  and  was  not  very  keen  about  it.  I  should 
have  liked  it.  We  had  all  the  staff  who  remain  to  dine 
to-night.  London  is  curiously  empty — all  the  chairs 
being  taken  away  from  the  Park,  which  gives  it  a  decided 
air  of  "fin  de  saison." 


To  G.  K.  S. 

Albert  Gate  House, 
March  2,  1888. 

I  have  been  back  about  two  weeks  arid  am  quite  settled 
again.  I  have  always  two  or  three  disagreeable  days 
when  I  first  come  back  from  France.    The  coal  fires  try 


266    LETTERS   OF  A  DIPLOMATS  WIFE  [Mar. 

me  very  much  and  I  think  regretfully  of  the  enormous 
chimneys  at  Bourneville  and  the  trees  that  we  burned 
there.  We  have  a  fog  and  it  is  very  cold.  Francis  and 
I  went  to  skate  yesterday  at  the  Botanical  Gardens.  The 
ice  was  very  bad,  there  was  very  little  room,  and  swarms 
of  children  struggling  along  on  their  little  skates,  but  the 
outing  was  pleasant.  I  also  went  one  day  with  a  friend 
to  Wimbledon,  and  that  was  better.  We  drove  down 
and  had  a  pleasant  afternoon,  but  the  ice  was  soft,  and 
it  was  the  end.  Really  though,  in  March  in  England, 
one  could  hardly  expect  to  skate. 

March  8th.  ^ ' 
Hilda  came  in  this  morning  with  very  bad  news  of  the 
German  Emperor.  The  Crown  Prince  was  to  start  from 
the  Riviera,  and  I  am  afraid  he  is  in  a  bad  way  too.  He 
looked  such  a  magnificent  man  at  the  Jubilee  Fetes.  Of 
course  even  then  his  voice  and  colour  showed  that  some- 
thing was  wrong,  but  it  was  difficult  to  believe  that  a 
mortal  disease  was  mining  his  strength.  We  have  had 
telegrams  all  the  afternoon,  and  at  5  they  told  us  the 
Emperor  was  dead.  We  sent  immediately  to  Mrs.  Jeune, 
where  we  were  engaged  to  dine  to  meet  Prince  and 
Princess  Christian  of  Schleswig-Holstein,  to  know  if  her 
dinner  was  put  ofif;  but  the  answer  came  back  that  the 
dinner  was  to  take  place.  We  went  of  course,  and  found 
Princess  Christian  and  Lady  Salisbury.  Prince  Chris- 
tian, as  a  German  Prince  and  a  relation  of  the  German 
Royal  Family,  did  not  come ;  neither  did  Lord  Salisbury, 
who  had  received  a  telegram  from  Berlin  announcing  the 
Emperor's  death.  The  Princess  looked  anxious  and  was 
evidently  very  much  worried  at  the  journey  of  the  Crown 
Prince  in  such  weather,  in  his  delicate  state.  She  left  al- 
most instantly  after  dinner.    The  Drawing-room  is  post- 


i888]  A    FUNERAL    SERVICE  267 

poned.  The  Crown  Prince  starts  to-morrow  morning. 
All  eyes  are  upon  him,  and  will  follow  his  journey  with 
hopes  and  fears. 

Sunday,  March  i8th. 

We  all  went  to  the  funeral  service  for  the  German  Em- 
peror this  morning  in  the  German  Lutheran  Chapel  close 
to  Marlborough  House.  I  was  quite  correct  this  time, 
and  was  swathed  in  crepe;  Mrs.  Lecky  has  lent  me  her 
long  crepe  veil,  which  will  serve  again  probably,  as  every- 
one seems  to  think  the  Emperor  Frederick  is  doomed.  All 
the  men  were  in  uniform  with  crepe  on  their  sleeves  and 
sword  hilts  (the  Germans  with  their  helmets  covered  with 
crepe)  and  the  women  in  woollen  dresses  with  crepe  veils. 
Almost  all  the  Princesses  were  there  (not  the  Princess  of 
Wales),  but  the  Princes  were  in  Berlin.  The  service  was 
long,  and  curiously  enough  was  not  the  Lutheran  service, 
but  the  regular  Church  of  England  service  translated  into 
German.  It  was  done,  it  seems,  for  George  II,  who  was 
obHged  to  follow  the  Church  of  England  service,  and 
who  didn't  understand  a  zvord  of  English.  There  was 
much  chanting,  two  addresses,  and  a  sermon. 

Everyone  of  course  is  talking  and  speculating  over 
what  will  happen  in  Germany.  All  the  doctors  say  the 
Emperor  Frederick  is  near  his  end.  No  one  seems  to 
know  exactly  what  will  be  the  attitude  of  the  present 
Crown  Prince.  He  is  young,  intelligent,  with  an  iron 
will;  all  good  qualities  in  a  sovereign,  but  he  has  little 
experience  and  an  absolute  confidence  in  his  own  judg- 
ment. 

To  H.  L,  K. 

London,  April  25,  1888. 
We  hear  a  great  deal  now  here  about  Boulanger,  and 
there  seems  to  be  the  most  extraordinary  "engouement" 


268    LETTERS   OF  A   DIPLOMAT'S  WIFE  [April 

for  him  here  as  well  as  in  France.  Roustan,  the  Naval 
Attache,  has  just  come  back  from  Paris  and  says  the  state 
of  things  is  very  serious,  people  have  lost  their  heads 
over  Boulanger.  He  (R.)  thinks  it  is  the  most  serious 
crisis  France  has  passed  through  since  the  Commune. 
W.  is  less  blue — he  knows  the  famous  General  very  little, 
but  doesn't  think  there  is  much  character  or  backbone 
there. 

We  had  a  big  dinner  the  other  night  at  Lord  Roths- 
child's, and  Lord  Hartington,  a  well-known  political  and 
social  figure,  sat  between  me  and  the  Princesse  de  Wa- 
gram.  He  naturally  asked  us,  the  only  two  Frenchwomen 
at  table,  what  we  thought  of  Boulanger.  The  Princess 
spoke  most  enthusiastically  of  him.  The  one  man  in 
France  who  could  regenerate  the  country,  and  who  would 
be  supported  by  all  parties.  I  said  exactly  the  contrary, 
and  that  I  thought  his  popularity  and  power  very  much 
exaggerated.  Lord  Hartington  was  rather  amused  at 
the  two  opinions  so  absolutely  at  variance. 

The  Deichmanns  came  to  see  us  the  other  day,  just 
back  from  Berlin,  and  in  despair  over  the  Emperor. 
Deichmann  said  he  came  into  the  room  with  the  same 
straight,  soldierly  bearing  he  had  always  had,  and  ex- 
cept that  he  was  thinner,  looked  unchanged;  but  he 
couldn't  speak,  and  his  friends  fear  the  worst.  He  is 
worried  too  over  the  friction  between  the  Empress  and 
Bismarck — too  such  strong  wills  in  conflict. 

London, 
April  26,  1888. 

I  wonder  if  you  are  as  cold  as  I  am  to-day.  I  have 
been  driving  about  shivering  in  the  open  carriage  and  my 
seal-skin  felt  like  a  foulard.  I  think  I  got  cold  last  night. 
We  had  a  pleasant  dinner  at  Lord  Knutsford's.     I  had 


I888J  A  LONDON  CRUSH  269 

Count  Kufstein  next  to  me.  He  was  for  years  in  Paris 
at  the  Austrian  Embassy  just  when  I  was  first  married 
and  making  my  debut  in  the  ofiicial  world.  He  is  here 
now  for  the  sugar  conference,  and  we  were  dehghted  to 
go  back  to  old  times,  as  he  knows  everybody  in  Paris  of 
all  kinds:  Imperialists,  Royalists,  and  Republicans.  It 
wasn't  always  easy  for  a  foreigner  to  get  along  and  not 
offend  somebody.  On  our  way  home  W.  suggested  that 
we  should  go  in  for  a  moment  to  the  W.  H.  Smiths'  who 
had  a  big  political  reception.  In  a  weak  moment  I 
agreed.  It  is  not  really  necessary  to  go  to  those  big 
parties — one  can  be  written  down  in  the  book  by  one  of 
the  secretaries,  or  give  the  names  to  the  lady  of  the 
Morning  Post  w^ho  sits  wath  her  hat  and  coat  behind 
the  door,  and  puts  down  as  many  names  as  she  can  man- 
age. I  should  think  she  would  have  perpetual  rheuma- 
tism, as  the  hall  door  is  open  and  the  draught  something 
awful.  The  moment  I  set  my  foot  in  the  hall  my  heart 
sank,  such  a  crowd  on  the  stairs,  I  should  think  all  the 
House  of  Commons  and  all  their  female  relations.  There 
was  a  double  current  going  and  coming,  and  I  was  thank- 
ful not  to  have  my  dress  torn  to  bits.  We  met  Tom 
Leigh  coming  down.  He  said  he  had  been  15  minutes 
on  the  same  step.  However  we  did  manage  to  get  up- 
stairs— tried  to  find  either  host  or  hostess,  but  they  had 
evidently  left  the  door — so  after  struggling  through  one 
or  two  rooms  packed  tight  with  people  I  discovered  a 
high  wooden  stool  behind  one  of  the  doors  which  had 
evidently  been  used  for  lighting  the  candles  and  been 
forgotten,  so  I  seated  myself  on  that  and  told  W.  I 
would  wait  for  him  there,  as  he  thought  he  would 
try  and  find  some  one  of  the  family.  I  sat  there 
some  little  time  rather  interested  in  the  stream  of 
perfectly    unknown    faces    which   passed   until    I    was 


270    LETTERS  OF  A  DIPLOMAT'S  WIFE    [May 

rescued  by  Correa,  the  Brazilian  Minister,  who  couldn't 
believe  that  it  was  really  the  French  Ambassadress 
sitting  alone  on  a  three-legged  stool  behind  the  doon 
W.  came  back  in  about  a  quarter  of  an  hour  not 
having  seen  any  one  he  knew,  and  then  we  started  down 
the  staircase  where  we  had  the  same  struggle,  and  the 
cold  air  blowing  in  upon  my  bare  shoulders.  I  was  cross 
when  I  got  home — however  I  suppose  exactly  the  same 
thing  happens  when  we  have  a  big  reception,  as  the  Em- 
bassy is  not  nearly  large  enough.  The  other  night  when 
the  Duke  of  Cambridge  dined  with  us  we  had  a  party 
afterward.  W.  went  down  to  the  door  with  him  and 
never  got  up  again,  there  was  such  a  crowd  on  the  stairs. 

To  H.  L.  K. 

London,  May  19,  1888. 

The  season  is  animated  enough  and  we  are  out  every 
night  (not  all  day,  as  so  many  people  are,  as  we  refuse 
all  lunches  and  teas).  Our  music  the  other  evening  with 
Wolfif,  the  young  Dutch  violinist,  and  Mdme.  Kleeberg, 
was  nice.  We  had  invited  only  about  50  people,  all  musi- 
cal. Everyone  could  sit  down  (which  the  men  appre- 
ciated, as  they  usually  stand  in  the  doorway  all  through 
the  concert),  and  also  we  were  not  obliged  to  have  those 
rows  of  gilt  chairs  which  grate  so  on  my  nerves.  I  know 
the  women  hate  it  so  when  they  are  all  seated  in  rows 
very  close  to  each  other  and  not  a  man  anywhere  near. 
Wolfif  played  divinely,  with  so  much  tone  and  sentiment. 
He  had  a  great  success.  Mdme.  Kleeberg  always  plays 
beautifully.  She  is  well  known  here  and  much  liked.  It 
was  the  first  time  Wolfif  had  played  in  London,  and  he 
was  a  little  nervous. 

Last  night  we  dined  with  Lady  Delawarr  to  meet 


"      A    RECEPTION    AND    MUSIC  271 

Princess  Louise  and  Lord  Lome.  The  Princess  is 
charming;  a  pretty,  graceful  figure  and  attractive  man- 
ner, absolutely  what  the  Italians  would  call  "simpatica." 
Lord  Lome  took  me  to  dinner,  and  I  found  him  most 
entertaining  and  original.  He  talked  a  great  deal  about 
Canada  and  America,  and  certainly  knows  and  appreciates 
''the  States."  He  said  if  he  hadn't  been  born  the  eldest 
son  of  an  English  Duke  he  would  certainly  emigrate  to 
the  West  of  America  and  pitch  his  tent  there. 

There  was  a  reception  and  music  in  the  evening,  Wolff 
playing  beautifully,  but,  alas !  no  one  listening.  Lady 
Borthwick  (who  is  a  good  musician)  and  I. moved  into 
the  large  drawing-room  at  his  request  when  he  began  to 
play,  and  I  really  don't  think  anyone  else  scarcely  listened, 
and  certainly  no  one  realised  when,  after  playing  a  few 
moments  under  great  difficulty  (people  coming  and  going 
and  talking  all  the  time) ,  he  calmly  laid  his  violin  on  the 
piano  and  stopped.  He  came  up  to  me  to  explain,  what 
I  quite  understood,  that  he  could  hear  neither  his  own 
violin  nor  the  accompaniment,  and  I  could  not  urge  him 
to  continue.  It  is  very  hard  on  the  artists,  an  evening 
like  that.  If  they  don't  play  well,  everyone  criticises ;  and 
if  they  stop  altogether,  people  think  it  is  high-handed, 
and  criticise  equally.  I  have  learnt  now  by  experience 
and  never  invite  many  people  when  I  have  music. 

May  22,  1888. 

We  had  a  pleasant  evening  last  night  at  Sir  Arthur 
Sullivan's  who  had  a  dinner  for  the  Prince  of  Wales  and 
the  Duke  and  Duchess  Paul  of  Mecklenburg.  There 
were  all  kinds  of  artists — singing,  reciting,  and  dancing. 
An  American  girl,  with  a  very  pretty  voice,  sang  very 
well,  and  Letty  Lind  was  charming.  The  Duchess  Paul 
looked  very  pretty  and  chic,  and  was  most  amiable.     The 


272    LETTERS  OF  A  DIPLOMAT'S  WIFE    [May 

Prince  is  so  nice  to  artists — always  a  gracious  word  and 
smile.  Sullivan  is  an  excellent  host,  and  keeps  every- 
thing going.  Just  as  we  arrived  the  electric  light  went 
out.  I  couldn't  imagine  why  the  house  looked  so  dark 
as  we  drove  up,  for  I  knew  the  Prince  was  dining,  and 
there  was  the  red  carpet  which  always  indicates  Royalty, 
so  there  could  be  no  mistake,  but  the  hall-door  was  open 
and  lamps  and  candles  being  brought  in  from  all  quarters. 
We  took  off  our  cloaks  in  the  dark,  but  in  a  very  few 
minutes  things  were  put  right,  and  the  rooms  brilliantly 
illuminated.  W.  never  remains  long  on  these  occasions, 
but  I  stayed  until  the  end,  even  for  supper,  which  was 
very  gay. 

London,  May  24,  1888. 

My  small  musical  tea  for  the  Duchess  Paul  was  very 
successful  I  think  yesterday.  I  could  not  have  Johannes 
Wolff,  the  violinist,  which  I  regretted  extremely.  He 
plays  quite  beautifully,  with  so  much  "entrain"  and  senti- 
ment. I  think  I  have  already  written  to  you  about  him, 
he  is  a  Dutchman  who  was  sent  to  me  by  Mdme.  de  Zuy- 
len  (you  remember  Zuylen  who  was  so  long  Dutch  Min- 
ister in  Paris).  It  was  a  little  discouraging  at  first,  there 
is  such  a  tremendous  concurrence  in  London,  and  Eng- 
lish people  like  to  hear  the  same  artists,  whom  they  know 
well;  Joachim,  Sarasate,  and  Mdme.  Neruda  have  it  all 
their  own  way.  However,  I  made  a  small  party  for  him, 
all  musical  people.  Lady  Borthwick,  Mrs.  Ronalds,  Tosti, 
Lord  Lathom,  etc.,  and  he  conquered  his  public  at  once. 
It  was  splendid  playing  and  a  style  quite  his  own.  We 
replaced  him  by  Mdme.  Le  Valloit,  who  plays  very  well ; 
and  had  besides  Picolellis  (from  Florence),  who  plays 
well  (cello),  and  Carpe,  the  Italian  baritone  who  has  a 
big  voice  and  sings  in  the  Italian  style.     The  audience 


1888]  GRIEG   AND    THE    PRINCE  273 

listened  pretty  well  at  first,  then  came  tea  and  the  clatter 
of  tea-cups  in  the  blue  room  where  all  the  jeunesse  had 
congregated,  talking  and  laughing  and  having  their  tea 
with  a  fine  unconsciousness  of  the  music  going  on  in  the 
next  room.  They  are  really  very  tiresome.  That  re- 
minds me  of  Grieg  who  was  very  "difficile,"  and  who 
couldn't  stand  a  sound  when  he  was  playing.  He  and  his 
wife  came  to  the  Embassy  one  night  and  played  and  sang 
quite  charmingly,  and  everybody  was  delighted.  Quite 
at  the  last  moment  one  of  the  Royalties  talked  a  little 
while  he  was  playing,  and  I  saw  the  moment  when  he 
would  get  up  from  the  piano.  However,  Wolff  and  I  be- 
tween us  managed  to  calm  him.  When  it  was  over  I  tolcJ 
him  what  a  success  he  had  had — that  the  Prince  had  en- 
joyed his  playing  so  much,  to  which  he  replied — *'J^>  ^^^ 
hat  es  laut  gesagt." 

Duchess  Paul  was  very  amiable,  stayed  until  after  7 
and  seemed  to  enjoy  it;  at  least  she  listened  and  spoke 
very  nicely  to  the  artists  afterward.  I  had  just  time  to 
dress  for  a  dinner  at  the  Austrian  Embassy. 

May  26,  1888. 
We  dined  to-night  with  our  cousins  the  Ivor  Herberts, 
a  dinner  for  the  Duke  and  Duchess  Paul  of  Mecklenburg.. 
We  were  asked  for  8.15,  and  they  never  came  until  9, 
looking  quite  unconcerned.  I  can't  imagine  how  the 
cooks  manage.  Juteau  tears  his  hair  when  we  are  so  late, 
but  he  is  getting  accustomed  to  English  hours  now,  and 
doesn't  get  ready  himself  until  a  quarter  of  an  hour  after 
the  time  fixed.  W^e  were  a  perfect  bore  to  all  our  friends 
at  first  with  our  French  punctuality,  and  arrived  once  or 
twice  before  the  master  of  the  house.  W.  consulted  Lord 
Granville,  who  told  him  his  rule  was  to  leave  his  house 
at  the  hour  named  for  the  dinner;  but  as  we  dine  sometimes 


274    LETTERS   OF  A   DIPLOMAT'S  WIFE    [May 

around  the  corner,  and  sometimes  at  Kensington  that  is 
not  always  practical.  People  in  Paris  are  very  punctual 
and  never  wait  more  than  a  quarter  of  an  hour  for  anyone. 
I  remember  quite  well  when  I  was  first  married,  and  my 
husband  was  a  Cabinet  Minister,  being  late  for  dinner  at 
Comte  Paul  de  Segur's.  When  we  arrived  they  were  at 
table.  Among  the  guests  was  the  Due  d'Audifret-Pas- 
quier,  President  of  the  Senate — he  had  arrived  in  time 
and  they  wouldn't  keep  him  waiting  more  than  the  "quart 
d'heure  de  grace."  I  was  very  much  surprised,  as  after 
all  my  husband  was  a  personage,  but  I  must  say  I  think 
the  rule  is  a  good  one.  I  was  next  to  the  Duke  and  found 
him  very  pleasant.  He  is  a  brother  of  the  Grand  Duch- 
ess Wladimir,  and  he  talked  about  the  Coronation,  and 
some  of  the  curious,  half  barbaric  ceremonies.  He  had 
been  lunching  at  Sheen  with  the  Comte  de  Paris,  and  was 
much  impressed  with  the  dull,  sad  look  of  the  place.  It 
does  look  gloomy,  enclosed  in  high  walls,  such  a  contrast 
to  Eu  and  the  beautiful,  bright  sunny  homes  where  the 
Orleans  Princes  spent  their  childish  years. 

Albert  Gate,  May  30th. 
To-night  we  have  a  quiet  evening,  and  are  glad  to  have 
a  chance  to  talk  over  Boulanger  (who  is  coming  here) 
and  various  troublesome  questions.  We  dined  last  night 
with  the  Duchess  of  Westminster  to  meet  Princess  Mary 
and  the  Duke  of  Teck.  The  dinner  was  handsome  and 
pleasant,  and  there  was  a  small  ball  afterward.  They 
danced  in  the  picture  gallery,  a  beautiful,  large  room, 
where  the  dresses  and  jewels  showed  to  great  advantage. 
We  didn't  stay  very  late  as  W.  never  dances,  not  even 
the  regulation  "Quadrille  d'PIonneur"  at  Court.  He  and 
Karolyi  are  the  only  diplomatists  who  never  dance. 


1888]         A  DINNER  AT  WHITE  LODGE  275 


To  H.  L.  K. 

London,  June  5,  1888. 

Yesterday  was  a  beautiful  summer  day,  the  ideal  Sun- 
day of  Bishop  Keble — "The  bridal  of  the  earth  and  sky." 
We  walked  through  the  "Church  Parade"  coming  back 
from  Westminster.  There  were  quantities  of  pretty  girls 
dotted  about  the  Park,  looking  so  fresh  and  cool  in  their 
white  dresses.  I  had  various  visits.  Sunday  is  the  man's 
day  in  London,  and  the  afternoon  is  generally  interesting. 
The  Spanish  Ambassador  came  in.  He  had  been  lunch- 
ing at  Sheen  with  the  Comte  de  Paris,  and  told  me  that 
the  Prince  asked  him  if  he  had  seen  his  Collegue  de 
France  lately,  and  what  he  thought  of  the  state  of  things 
in  France,  and  particularly  what  he  thought  of  Boulanger. 
I  told  him  I  didn't  think  the  French  Ambassador  shared 
the  Comte  de  Paris'  enthusiasm  for  that  hero,  but  that 
he  had  better  ask  him. 

About  5.30  W.  and  I  started  for  White  Lodge,  Rich- 
mond Park,  to  dine  with  Princess  Mary  and  the  Duke 
of  Teck.  We  found  quite  a  party  assembled  in  the  gar- 
den around  a  tea-table,  the  Princess  making  the  tea 
herself,  Princess  May  and  some  of  the  young  ones  help- 
ing. The  talk  was  pleasant  and  easy.  Princess  Mary  is 
a  charming  hostess  and  likes  to  talk  (which  is  certainly 
not  the  case  with  all  English  women).  She  is  very  stout, 
but  has  a  beautiful  head  and  fine  presence.  Tosti  and 
Picolellis  dined,  and  played  divinely  after  dinner.  The 
evening  was  enchanting.  We  all  sat  in  the  big  drawing- 
room  opening  on  the  garden.  There  was  not  much  light, 
the  moon  shining  through  the  trees,  and  the  two  artists 
playing  as  if  inspired  anything  anyone  asked  for,  from 
a  Spohr  sonata  to  an  Italian  canzonetta.     I  thought  we 


276    LETTERS  OF  A  DIPLOMAT'S  WIFE    (June 

should  stay  there  all  night — no  one  wanted  to  go  home. 
The  drive  home  was  lovely,  the  London  streets  are  so 
quiet  Sunday  night. 

June  6th. 

This  morning  was  the  great  meet  of  the  coaches,  and 
our  terrace  of  course  is  in  great  request  as  it  gives  di- 
rectly on  the  Park.  It  is  always  a  pretty  sight  as  every- 
one turns  out.  Lord  Fife  had  the  Prince  of  Wales  with 
him,  and  the  Princess  was  driving  about  with  her  three 
daughters  in  a  victoria.  The  news  of  the  German  Em- 
peror is  very  bad. 

June  loth. 

This  afternoon  we  had  lovely  music  at  Frank 
Schuster's.  Both  Wolff  and  Hollman  played  divinely. 
They  are  great  rivals,  both  Dutchmen,  and  both  great 
favourites  (Hollman  is  'cello).  A  trio  with  them  and 
Mdme.  Kleeberg  at  the  piano  is  absolutely  perfect. 

Our  dinner  at  the  Monks'  was  pleasant.  I  had  Sir 
Rivers  Wilson  next  to  me,  and  he  is  a  charming  neigh- 
bour, has  been  everywhere,  knows  everybody,  and  talks 
easily  without  any  pose.  There  was  a  concert  in  the 
evening — very  good — Trebelli,  Lloyd,  Nordica,  etc.  I 
made  acquaintance  with  Nordica,  who  is  an  American, 
Miss  Norton,  from  Boston  I  think.  She  sings  beauti- 
fully. I  said  to  her  (they  were  all  talking  hard  between 
the  songs),  ''What  a  noise  !  Can  you  ever  begin?"  "Oh, 
certainly,"  she  said,  "I  shall  make  much  more  noise  than 
they  do,"  and  she  was  quite  right.  Her  voice  rang 
through  the  room.  One  of  her  songs  was  Delibes' 
'Tilles  de  Cadiz,"  which  she  sang  splendidly. 

June  1 2th. 
This  afternoon  we  have  been  sight-seeing.    Jean  came 
to  breakfast,  and  we  started  off  with  Jusserand  and  St. 


I888J       THE  PANORAMA  OF  NIAGARA  277 

Genys  to  see  the  Panorama  of  Niagara,  which  they  say 
is  extremely  well  done.  I  wanted  the  foreigners  to  have 
an  idea  of  our  great  Falls,  for  I  think  in  their  hearts  they 
were  rather  disposed  to  agree  with  a  statement  in  one  of 
the  Swiss  guide-books  in  speaking  of  the  falls  of  the 
Rhine  at  Schaffhausen,  ''generally  supposed  to  surpass 
the  celebrated  Falls  of  Niagara  in  America."  However 
they  were  agreeably  disappointed  and  were  much  pleased 
and  interested.  The  Panorama  is  really  very  good.  It 
is  so  many  years  since  I  have  seen  Niagara  that  I  had 
forgotten  how  magnificent  the  Horse  Shoe  Fall  is,  and  I 
almost  expected  to  hear  the  roar  of  the  cataract,  and  to 
see  the  little  Indian  boy  selling  moccasins  and  maple 
sugar.  I  wonder  if  I  would  like  maple  sugar  now.  One 
of  my  French  friends,  Mdme.  Casimir  Perier,  to  whom 
I  offered  as  a  great  treat  some  American  home-made  gin- 
gerbread, could  hardly  swallow  it,  and  assured  me  that 
I  couldn't  eat  it  either  if  it  had  not  been  a  ''souvenir  d'en- 
fance."  On  leaving  Niagara  we  went  to  the  Aquarium 
to  see  a  dog  show.  There  were  some  fine  specimens, 
but  I  didn't  think  any  of  the  fox  terriers  as  good  as  my 
Boniface.  We  also  saw  a  swimming  match,  young  ladies 
disporting  themselves  in  the  water  in  most  wonderful 
costumes.  Then  to  change  our  ideas  we  went  into  West- 
minster Abbey,  just  getting  there  for  the  end  of  the  after- 
noon service.  We  heard  the  anthem,  which  was  beauti- 
ful. It  is  such  a  good  choir — some  of  the  boys'  voices 
divine,  and  they  look  like  such  little  angels  in  their  white 
surplices.  A  good  many  people  were  waiting  to  go 
round  the  Abbey  at  the  end  of  the  service,  and  we  had 
some  difiliculty  in  getting  away  from  the  various  guides 
who  haunt  the  church  and  fail  upon  strangers.  We 
wandered  about  with  Jusserand  for  our  cicerone.  He 
knows  everything  about  everything,  and  we  had  an  in- 


278    LETTERS  OF  A  DIPLOMAT'S  WIFE   [June 

teresting  hour.  Some  of  the  old  tombs  are  so  curious. 
We  got  back  to  the  Embassy  for  tea,  having  enjoyed  our- 
selves immensely.  I  think  in  her  heart  Jean  was  rather 
shocked  at  the  Aquarium  performance — didn't  think  it 
was  exactly  the  place  for  me — that  was  the  reason  I  liked 
it,  I  suppose,  I  am  so  often  now  in  the  place  where  I 
ought  to  be. 

To  H.  L.  K. 

London, 
June  12,  1888. 

It  is  beautiful  again  to-day.  We  had  a  nice  canter 
in  the  Row.  Everyone  was  talking  about  the  German 
Emperor,  and  speculating  over  the  future.  There  is  a 
curious  mistrust  of  the  young  Prince.  No  one  seems 
to  know  exactly  what  he  will  do,  and  what  will  be  his 
attitude  toward  England.  This  afternoon  we  have  been 
out  to  Chiswick  with  the  Florians,  and  Francis,  to 
launch  a  torpilleur  built  for  the  French  Navy  by 
Thornycroft.  We  found  Thornycroft  and  some  of  his 
friends  waiting  for  us  at  the  entrance  of  the  dockyard. 
They  took  us  to  a  platform  covered  with  red  cloth  erected 
quite  close  to  the  boat — which  was  prettily  dressed  with 
flags — the  men  said  her  shape  was  wonderful  (for  a  tor- 
pilleur, which  never  can  be  graceful).  They  gave  me  a 
bottle  of  champagne,  and  told  me  what  to  do.  I  flung 
the  bottle  as  hard  as  I  could  against  the  stern  of  the  boat, 
saying  "Success  to  the  'Coureur.'  "  It  broke  into  a  thou- 
sand pieces,  the  champagne  spattering  all  over  rhy  dress. 
We  then  adjourned  to  a  summer-house  overlooking  the 
river  for  tea,  and  afterward  went  over  the  boat.  There 
are  accommodations  (such  as  they  are)  for  two  officers 
and  nine  men,  but  it  must  be  most  uncomfortable,  par- 
ticularly in  rough  weather.     However,  she  was  built  for 


1888]  A  DAY  AT  ASCOT  279 

speed,  Thornycroft  told  us,  and  everything  was  sup- 
pressed that  was  not  absolutely  necessary.  I  hope  she 
will  make  a  good  record. 

June  13th. 

Yesterday  I  decided  quite  suddenly  to  go  to  Ascot.  It 
was  a  beautiful  day,  not  too  hot,  and  the  Florians  were 
quite  ready  to  go  with  me.  W.  hates  races  and  a  long 
day  in  the  country.  We  got  down  all  right,  hearing 
vague  rumours  on  the  way  about  the  Emperor's  death, 
but  the  Royal  box  was  open,  prepared  evidently  for  the 
Princes,  and  there  were  quantities  of  people  on  the  lawn. 
We  were  standing  near  the  gate  waiting  to  see  the  pro- 
cession appear,  when  suddenly  Lord  Coventry,  Master 
of  the  Buckhounds,  rode  in  alone.  Instantly  everyone 
said  there  must  be  bad  news  from  the  German  Emperor 
(which  was  true) .  The  Prince  of  Wales  had  a  telegram, 
just  as  he  was  getting  into  his  carriage,  from  the  Queen, 
to  say  the  news  was  very  bad,  and  none  of  them  must  go 
to  the  races.  Very  soon  some  of  the  gentlemen  of  the 
Prince's  party  arrived,  among  others  Karolyi,  who  said 
the  Emperor  was  dying — dead  probably  at  that  moment. 
The  Prince's  servants  and  lunch  were  sent  back  as  soon 
as  possible  (of  course  all  their  provisions  and  servants 
had  been  sent  to  Ascot,  as  they  have  a  big  lunch  party 
there  every  day),  so  we  all  lunched  w^ith  Lord  Cov- 
entry. I  went  up  after  lunch  to  the  top  of  the  stand  to 
see  the  race,  and  had  the  satisfaction  of  seeing  the  French 
horse  come  in  an  easy  last. 

We  went  to  tea  with  Lady  Diana  Huddleston,  who  has 
a  pretty  cottage  close  to  the  course,  and  sat  under  the 
trees  some  time.  I  had  refused  a  dinner  in  London,  and 
was  in  no  hurry  to  get  back.  We  quite  expected  to  see 
the  Emperor's  death  in  the  evening  papers,  but  he  seems 


:28o    LETTERS   OF  A   DIPLOMAT'S  WIFE    [June 

to  have  rallied  again  a  little.  Poor  man,  how  terrible  it 
is  the  way  he  fights  for  his  life — and  he  has  known  from 
the  first,  they  say,  that  there  was  no  hope.  I  am  so 
•sorry  for  her — she  is  so  clever,  so  ambitious,  and  would 
Slave  done  so  much  for  Germany. 

WoBURN  Abbey, 
June  15,  1888. 

We  arrived  here  yesterday  for  tea.  It  had  rained 
hard  in  the  morning.  W.  and  I  were  riding  and  were 
taking  our  usual  quick  canter  at  the  far  end  of  the  Park 
(Marble  Arch)  when  the  storm  began.  We  got  home 
as  fast  as  we  could,  but  were  dripping,  both  of  us.  The 
water  poured  off  my  hat  like  a  shower-bath  when  I 
took  it  off.  We  had  just  time  to  get  dry  and  dress  be- 
fore starting  for  the  station  w^here  we  found  the  Duke's* 
Tegisseur  waiting  for  us  with  a  "wagon-salon."  We 
3iad  a  short  railway  journey  through  pretty  English 
village  country;  then  a  drive  of  half  an  hour  brought 
ns  here.  The  Park  is  enormous,  fine  trees  and  beau- 
tifully green — such  a  rest  after  London  smoke.  The 
"house  is  very  large,  with  a  great  square  court  and 
•corridors  running  all  around  it  filled  with  family  and 
historical  pictures.  The  Duchess  and  her  daughters 
were  waiting  for  us  in  the  morning  room.  We  had 
tea  and  almost  immediately  went  upstairs,  as  it  was 
late.  I  have  a  charming  big  room  with  such  views 
over  the  Park.  There  are  always  in  these  large  houses 
lovely  bits  of  old  furniture,  pictures,  old  china,  etc. 
The  dinner  was  handsome — quantities  of  gold  and  silver 
plate,  and  the  table  covered  with  azaleas.  The  Duke 
talked  a  great  deal.  He  speaks  French  and  German  like 
a  native   (was  brought  up  in   Germany)    and  has  the 

•  The  Duke  of  Bedford. 


1888]  AT    WOBURN    ABBEY  281 

courteous,  dignified  manner  of  the  old-fashioned  English 
gentleman — a  little  stiff  perhaps  (they  say  people,  even 
his  children,  are  afraid  of  him),  but  I  find  him  most  at- 
tractive, particularly  in  these  days  when  people  haven't 
time  apparently  to  be  polite.  The  house  party  is  small — 
Lord  Tavistock ,  son  of  the  house,  with  his  handsome 
wife,  Lady  Ampthill,  widow  of  Lord  Ampthill  (whom 
you  will  remember  well  as  Odo  Russell  in  Rome,  and  who 
was  for  years  British  Ambassador  in  Berlin).  We  saw 
him  there  when  we  stopped  three  or  four  days  on  our 
way  to  Moscow  for  the  Coronation.  They  loved  him  in 
Berlin,  just  as  they  did  in  Rome.  Do  you  remember  how 
much  put  out  all  the  women  were  there  when  his  engage- 
ment was  announced?  Lady  Ampthill  looks  sad,  and  is 
of  course  most  anxious  about  the  Emperor  Frederick,  and 
eager  for  news,  she  knew  him  and  the  Empress  so  well 
at  Berlin.  There  is  also  Bohm,  the  sculptor,  and  one  or 
two  young  men.  The  evening  was  short,  everyone 
talking  of  course  about  the  Emperor.  The  Duke  says  his 
death  will  be  an  immense  loss  to  the  whole  world.  The 
ladies  came  upstairs  about  10.30 — the  men  went  to  the 
smoking-room.  This  morning  it  is  showery — I  didn't 
go  down  to  breakfast,  but  about  12.30  I  found  my  way 
to  the  drawing-room,  and  the  Duchess  showed  me  the 
house  before  lunch.  It  would  take  weeks  to  see  all  that 
is  in  it.  The  gallery  that  runs  round  the  court  is  filled 
with  portraits  of  Russells  of  every  degree,  also  various 
Kings  and  Queens  of  England.  There  are  splendid  pict- 
ures all  over  the  house — one  drawing-room  absolutely 
panelled  with  Canalettos.  When  we  had  been  over  the 
house  we  went  into  the  garden  to  dedicate  a  fountain 
which  Bohm  had  made,  and  also  to  see  a  full  length 
statue  of  the  Duchess  which  he  had  also  just  completed 
for  the  garden.    I  am  very  glad  to  know  Bohm.    He  is. 


282    LETTERS  OF  A  DIPLOMAT'S  WIFE   [June 

intelligent  and  sympathetic,  original  too.  He  and  W. 
had  a  long  talk  last  night  in  the  ''fumoir,"  and  it  seems 
he  was  much  struck  with  W.  and  said  afterward  to  the 
Duke  ''Der  weiss  alles." 

After  lunch,  just  as  we  w^ere  starting  to  have  tea  at 
Ampthill,  we  received  two  telegrams — one  from  the  Em- 
bassy, and  one  from  Deichmann — telling  of  the  Emper- 
or's death  at  ii  this  morning — so  that  long  struggle  is 
over.  We  drove  over  to  Ampthill,  and  walked  about  in 
the  garden  with  umbrellas  and  waterproofs,  but  of  course 
the  place  looked  triste  and  dark  as  there  are  great  trees 
close  to  the  house.  There  was  a  very  good  picture  of 
Lord  Ampthill  in  one  of  the  drawing-rooms,  and  souve- 
nirs of  their  diplomatic  life  in  every  direction;  signed 
photographs  of  all  sorts  of  distinguished  people — snuff- 
boxes, medals,  etc, 

June  1 6th. 

It  is  still  grey  and  damp,  but  no  rain.  The  Duchess 
took  us  for  a  beautiful  grass  drive  through  miles  of 
rhododendrons,  quite  enchanting — I  have  never  seen 
anything  like  it; — but  again  the  want  of  sunlight  made 
a  great  difference.  The  contrast  between  the  deep  green 
of  the  lawn  and  the  extraordinary  amount  and  variety 
of  colour  was  most  striking.  We  left  about  3 — imme- 
diately after  lunch.  I  had  quite  a  talk  with  the  Duke 
while  we  were  waiting  for  the  carriage.  He  told  me  he 
had  been  so  pleased  to  have  had  W.  at  his  house  and  to 
hear  him  talk.  He  said — 'T  am  not  a  Republican,  but 
I  must  say  that  so  long  as  the  Republic  finds  men  like 
him  to  serve  her,  there  can  be  nothing  better  for  France." 

London,  June  24th. 
We  all  went  to  the  funeral  service  for  the  Emperor 
Frederick  this  morning,  all  of  us  smothered  in  crepe  with 


DINNER  AT  THE  MANSION  HOUSE  283 

long  crepe  veils.  It  was  precisely  the  same  service  over 
again  as  we  had  had  for  the  old  Emperor  a  few  months 
ago.  The  heat  was  something  awful — so  many  people — 
and  it  was  very  long.  I  dined  in  the  evening  at  Hurling- 
ham  with  Sir  Roderick  Cameron,  and  that  was  nice;  de- 
liciously  cool,  lights  all  about  the  place,  and  the  Hun- 
garian band  playing. 

To  H,  L.  K, 

London, 
July  12,  1888. 

Last  night  I  had  a  novel  and  most  amusing  experience. 
I  went  with  Count  and  Countess  de  Florian  (they  are  al- 
ways ready  to  do  anything  I  want)  to  dine  at  the  Mansion 
House.  W.  could  not  go.  As  soon  as  w^e  arrived  they 
roared  out  my  name,  or  rather  my  official  title — ''Her  Ex- 
cellency the  French  Ambassadress,"  and  I  walked  alone 
(the  Florians  a  little  behind)  up  the  great  hall  lined  with 
people  to  where  the  Lord  Mayor  was  standing,  with  his 
robes,  chains,  etc.,  a  mace-bearer  on  one  side,  and  a  sort 
of  trumpeter  on  the  other.  He  stood  quite  still  until  I 
got  close  to  him,  then  shook  hands  and  asked  my  permis- 
sion to  remove  his  robes  (ermine).  We  then  went  in 
to  dinner.  The  Lord  Mayor  and  his  wife  sat  side  by 
side,  and  I  was  on  his  right.  The  dinner  was  fairly  good 
(a  regular  banquet,  70  or  80  people),  with  music  and 
speeches.  I  rather  like  the  ceremony  of  the  "loving  cup." 
The  cup  was  a  handsome  heavy  gold  tankard,  with 
handles  and  a  cover,  and  was  brought  first  to  the  Lord 
Mayor.  He  rose — I  did  the  same,  and  he  asked  me  to 
take  off  the  cover,  which  I  did,  and  held  it  while  he  drank. 
Then  he  wiped  the  edge  with  his  napkin,  and  passed  it  to 
me.     The  man  next  to  me  got  up  and  held  the  cover 


284    LETTERS  OF  A  DIPLOMAT'S  WIFE    Uuly 

while  I  drank.  (The  cup  is  very  heavy  and  I  had  to 
take  it  with  both  hands.)  The  same  ceremony  was  re- 
peated all  around  the  enormous  table,  and  it  was  a  pretty 
and  curious  sight  to  see  a  couple  always  standing — the 
women  in  full  dress  and  jewels  standing  out  well  be- 
tween the  black  coats  of  the  men.  It  seems  it  is  a  very 
old  custom,  a  remnant  of  rough  feudal  times,  when  the 
man  drinking  was  obliged  to  have  a  friend  standing  next 
to  him,  to  ward  off  a  possible  blow,  his  hands  being  occu- 
pied. I  don't  know  what  we  drank — I  should  think  a 
sort  of  hot  spiced  wine.  Of  course  one  just  touches  the 
edge  of  the  cup.  A  wonderful  man,  in  old-fashioned 
garb  and  a  stentorian  voice,  stood  always  behind  the  Lord 
Mayor's  chair,  and  called  out  all  the  names,  toasts,  etc. 
We  went  in  afterward  to  Mrs.  Oppenheim,  who  had  a 
musical  party — all  the  pretty  women,  and  Mme.  Nordica 
singing  beautifully,  with  the  orchestra  of  the  Opera. 


London, 
July  14,  1888. 

I  am  rather  tired  to-night,  but  I  think  you  must  hear 
about  the  comedie  while  it  is  still  fresh  in  my  mind.  It 
really  went  very  well.  We  arranged  a  sort  of  rampe 
with  flowers  and  ribbons  (Thenard's  suggestion)  at  the 
end  of  the  ball-room,  and  made  up  the  background  with 
screens,  curtains,  etc.  The  little  troupe  had  been  well 
drilled  by  Thenard,  who  took  a  great  deal  of  trouble,  not 
only  with  their  diction,  but  with  their  movements.  At 
first  they  were  always  standing  in  a  heap  and  tumbling 
over  each  other,  or  insisting  upon  turning  their  backs  to 
the  audience.  *'Ce  n'est  pas  bien  joli,  ce  que  vous  mon- 
trez  au  public,  mes  enfants,"  says  Thenard.  Here  is  the 
programme : — 


1888]  A  FRENCH   COMEDY  285 

AMBASSADE  DE  FRANCE  A  LONDRES 

SaMEDI,    14    JUILLET,    1 888 


L*EDUCATION  A  LA  MODE 

PAR    BERQUIN 

MADAME  VERTEUIL Mlle.  Beatrice  de  Bunsen 

MADAME  BEAUMONT Mlle.  de  Langhe 

L^fiONORA,  sa  niece Lady  Mary  Pepys 

DIDIER,   son  neveu 


„    -r^TTT^Ao    ,T  -       J    J         r  ..M.  Francis  Waddington 
M.  DUPAS,   Maitre  de  danse 

TRUETTE,  soubrette        Mlle.  Cameron 


I  was  very  proud  of  my  little  troupe.  Beatrice  looked 
very  well  and  stately  in  powder,  black  satin,  and  lace. 
Mile,  de  Langhe  and  Daisy  very  well  got  up,  and  the  two 
children  charming.  Lady  Mary  Pepys  was  too  sweet, 
and  they  danced  their  minuet  perfectly.  There  were  roars 
of  laughter  when  Francis  appeared  as  "Maitre  de 
Danse"  with  a  white  wig  and  his  violin.  The  children 
were  not  at  all  shy,  enjoyed  themselves  immensely.  B. 
was  a  little  "emue"  at  first  when  she  saw  how  many 
people  there  w^ere,  but  it  didn't  last  and  she  was  excel- 
lent, so  perfectly  correct,  and  unfrivolous,  and  boring. 
Francis  said  his  little  poetry,  ''Le  bon  Gite"  of  Deroulede, 
quite  prettily.  W.  was  rather  surprised  and  quite  pleased, 
and  Thenard  beamed,  as  she  had  coached  him.  She  re- 
cites some  of  those  "Chants  du  Soldat"  of  Deroulede's 
divinely.  It  is  a  perfect  treat  to  hear  her  recite  in  her  beau- 
tiful rich  voice  "Le  Petit  Clairon,"  also  "La  Fiancee  du 
Timbalier,"  with  an  accompaniment  of  soft  music. 

All  the  children  (as  w^e  had  invited  Francis's  young 
friends  to  see  the  performance)  had  tea  together  after- 
ward, and  they  wound  up  with  a  dance.    The  men  of  the 


286    LETTERS  OF  A  DIPLOMAT'S  WIFE   [Aug 

Embassy  were  much  pleased,  particularly  Jusserand,  who 
is  rather  "difficile."  They  complimented  B.  very  much; 
said  she  spoke  so  distinctly  and  with  very  little  accent.  It 
was  rather  trying  for  her  to  play  before  all  the  Embassy 
and  an  ex-member  of  the  Comedie  Fran(;aise.  Francis's 
blue  velvet  coat  and  lace  ruffles  were  very  becoming  to 
him.  Wolff  told  him  how  to  hold  his  violin,  I  wish  you 
could  have  seen  it.  It  w^as  much  prettier  than  the  orig- 
inal little  play  at  Bourneville,  w^ien  we  executed  as  well 
as  we  could  a  menuet. 

We  had  a  very  select  public,  among  others  Wyndham 
of  the  Criterion,  who  is  an  interesting  man  and  a 
charming  actor.  When  you  come  over  I  will  take  you 
to  see  his  David  Garrick,  which  I  consider  a  perfect 
bit  of  acting.  I  wrote  and  asked  him  to  "assister  aux 
debuts  d'un  jeune  collaborateur."  The  funny  formal 
old-fashioned  Berquin  phrases  amused  him.  He  knows 
French  well. 

London,  August. 

We  have  decided  to  go  to  Scotland  with  Sir  Roderick 
Cameron  and  his  family,  and  are  starting  in  a  day  or 
two.  London  is  dull  and  empty,  has  suddenly  become 
a  deserted  city.  Even  the  shops  are  empty,  and  the 
Park  a  wilderness.  All  our  colleagues  have  gone.  I 
think  W.  is  the  only  Ambassador  in  London,  and  he 
wants  to  get  off  to  France  and  have  a  few  days  on  the 
Aisne  before  he  goes  to  the  Conseil  General.  We  means 
Francis  and  me  for  Scotland. 

To  H,  L.  K. 

Inveraylort, 
August  17,  1888. 

I  will  try  and  give  you  an  account  of  our  journey,  Dear. 
We  arrived  in  this  most  lovely  place  for  late  dinner  yes- 


1888]  IN    SCOTLAND  287 

terday,  and  went  almost  at  once  to  bed,  having  begun  our 
day  at  7  o'clock.  We  left  London  Tuesday  morning  by 
the  Flying  Scotchman,  and  a  tremendous  pace  we  came. 
There  were  quantities  of  people  at  the  station,  all  going 
apparently  by  our  train— children,  dogs,  guns,  fishing 
rods,  provision  baskets,  tall  footmen  racing  after  dis- 
tracted French  maids,  and  piles  of  luggage.  We  had  our 
saloon  carriage  reserved  (as  we  were  a  fair  party — C, 
the  four  girls,  Duncan,  a  friend  Miss  W.,  Francis  and 
I  and  two  or  three  maids).  We  had  also  a  fair  amount 
of  baskets,  shawls,  cushions,  etc.  It  was  a  lovely  morn- 
ing, not  too  warm,  and  I  think  W.,  who  came  down  to 
the  station  to  see  us  off,  was  half  sorry  he  was  not 
going  too. 

We  stopped  for  luncheon  at  York,  and  got  to  Edin- 
burgh at  6.30.  The  pace  was  frightful,  but  we  went  so 
smoothly  that  one  hardly  realised  the  speed.  We  went 
straight  to  the  hotel  to  see  our  rooms  and  order  dinner, 
and  then  went  out  for  a  walk.  The  streets  were 
crowded ;  omnibuses  and  cabs  with  luggage  in  every  di- 
rection. The  old  town  and  castle  looked  most  pictu- 
resque in  the  soft  summer  light.  Daisy  and  I  went  out 
again  after  dinner,  and  after  loitering  a  little  near  the 
hotel  we  saw  a  tramcar,  asked  where  it  went,  and 
mounted  on  the  top,  telling  the  man  we  would  go  as  far 
as  we  could,  and  then  come  back.  It  was  a  beautiful 
moonlight  night,  and  we  were  very  cool  and  comfortable 
perched  on  the  top  of  the  car.  When  the  man  came  to 
get  the  money  for  the  places  I  discovered  that  I  had  no 
change — merely  a  sovereign.  The  old  gentleman,  a  tall, 
white-bearded  Scotchman,  grumbled  a  good  deal,  and 
made  various  uncomplimentary  remarks  to  himself  in  a 
low  tone.  However  after  some  little  time  he  appeared 
with  a  handful  of  silver.     I  took  the  money  mechanically 


288    LETTERS  OF  A  DIPLOMAT'S  WIFE   [Aug. 

and  began  to  stuff  it  into  my  portemonnaie,  as  he  looked 
at  me  severely  and  said — "First  count  your  money  to  see 
that  it  is  right,  and  then  give  me  what  you  owe  for  your 
places." 

We  were  up  early  the  next  morning — breakfasted  at  9 
o'clock  as  we  wanted  to  see  a  little  of  Edinburgh  before 
starting  for  Oban  at  12  o'clock.  It  was  an  enchanting 
morning,  not  too  warm,  and  we  went  first  to  the  Castle. 
There  is  not  much  to  see  inside — always  a  beautiful  view 
of  sea  and  hills.  There  is  a  chapel  and  some  old  rooms 
which  various  Kings  and  Queens  of  Scotland  have  inhab- 
ited at  various  times.  A  company  of  Highlanders  in 
Cameron  plaids  were  being  exercised  in  the  courtyard, 
and  a  fine  stalwart  set  of  men  they  were. 

From  there  we  drove  through  some  of  the  old  streets 
(Cannongate,  etc.)  to  Holy  rood,  which  was  most  inter- 
esting. The  children  of  course  were  most  anxious  to  see 
the  spot  where  Rizzio  was  murdered,  and  the  blood-stains 
on  the  floor,  but  they  have  disappeared  years  ago.  We 
were  delighted  with  the  pictures.  There  are  quantities 
of  course  of  Mary,  Queen  of  Scots — one  large  portrait 
with  that  beautiful,  sad  Stuart  face — as  if  they  all  fore- 
saw their  destinies.  I  had  forgotten  how  small  and  low 
the  rooms  are.  In  these  luxurious  days  no  ordinary  lady 
would  be  satisfied  with  Queen  Mary's  bedroom  and  bou- 
doir; and  the  servants,  accustomed  to  be  quite  as  com- 
fortable as  their  masters,  would  give  warning  at  once. 
We  drove  straight  from  the  Palace  to  the  station,  where 
our  carriage  was  waiting  for  us.  All  our  wraps, 
cushions,  etc.,  neatly  arranged;  and  started  for  Oban, 
a  most  lovely  journey,  particularly  all  about  Loch  Awe. 
We  got  to  Oban  about  7,  and  I  shall  often  think  of  that 
lovely  evening.  The  harbour  filled  with  yachts  and  sail- 
boats of  all  kinds — the  water  blue  and  dancing,  and  the 


1888]  TARTANS  289 

most  divine  soft  pink  lights  on  the  hills,  a  little  like  what 
we  used  to  love  at  Capri  and  Ischia — quite  beautiful. 
Daisy  and  I  did  some  shopping  before  dinner — bought 
clean  collars  for  the  children,  who  were  decidedly  the 
worse  for  the  two  days'  journey,  and  we  also  interviewed 
the  well-known  Ewan  at  the  tartan  shop  with  a  view 
to  kilted  skirts.  D.  found  their  tartan  at  once  of  course 
as  there  are  so  many  Camerons — ours  was  rather  more 
difficult  as  there  are  few  Chisholms  left  (my  Mother-in- 
law  was  born  Chisholm)  and  the  authorities  in  London 
told  us  we  could  certainly  wear  the  family  plaid.  The 
shop  people  promised  to  get  it  for  me.  The  man  was 
much  interested  in  the  skirt  for  Miss  W.  Being  an 
American  there  was  no  family  tartan  to  be  looked  up,  and 
she  couldn't  quite  make  up  her  mind.  However  he  came 
to  the  rescue,  telling  her  that  ''all  the  American  ladies 
take  the  Royal  Stuart,  Miss."  We  had  an  excellent  din- 
ner at  the  very  small  hotel  where  we  were  obliged  to  go — 
all  the  swell  hotels  were  full — and  there  are  quantities  of 
people  in  the  streets,  and  boats  coming  and  going  from 
the  yachts.  The  Englishwomen  all  look  so  nice  in  their 
yachting  dresses,  almost  all  of  dark  blue  serge  and  a  sailor 
hat  or  regular  yachting  cap.  The  cap  is  rather  trying, 
but  the  young  and  pretty  women  look  charming  in  it. 
Some  of  the  trippers  and  their  ladies  are  wonderful  to  be- 
hold. We  stood  near  a  couple  who  were  just  starting 
for  Skye  on  one  of  the  steamers.  The  man  was  in  a 
wonderful  checked  suit,  and  the  lady  in  a  brilliant  red  and 
green  tartan  (not  unlike  the  Chisholm),  on  her  head  was 
a  Scotch  stalking  cap,  which  was  not  becoming  to  a  red, 
round  face.  However  she  was  satisfied  and  so  was  her 
companion,  who  looked  at  her  most  admiringly,  saying — 
*T  say,  you  are  fetching  in  that  cap."  ''II  y  en  a  pour 
tons  les  goiats."     When  we  got  back  to  the  hotel  we 


290    LETTERS  OF  A  DIPLOMATS  WIFE   [Aug. 

found  that  Sir  R.  had  quite  changed  our  ''itineraire/' 
He  had  seen  the  boat,  a  fine  large  one  which  made  the 
outside  passage  to  Arishaig,  so  instead  of  taking  the 
Caledonian  Canal  and  landing  at  Fort  William  where 
carriages  and  carts  were  ordered  for  us,  he  decided  that 
we  should  go  by  sea,  and  take  our  chance  of  finding  some 
means  of  transport.  He  did,  however,  send  a  telegram 
to  Arishaig,  as  the  hotel  man  told  him  he  would  never 
find  any  conveyance  for  such  a  large  party. 

We  started  at  9  o'clock,  and  the  sail  was  enchanting. 
About  12  we  ran  rather  close  to  a  small  headland,  and 
the  Captain  told  us  we  had  arrived.  Apparently  we 
were  in  broad  Atlantic  with  a  rocky  shore  in  the  distance 
— however  a  boat  appeared,  one  of  those  broad,  flat  boats 
which  one  sees  all  over  in  Scotland.  Our  disembarka- 
tion was  difficult  as  we  were  1 1  people  with  quantities  of 
trunks  and  parcels.  Happily  the  sea  was  quite  smooth. 
All  the  passengers  were  wildly  interested  in  the  opera- 
tion and  crowded  to  the  side  of  the  steamer.  When  all 
the  party  had  finally  got  ofif  with  trunks,  bags,  a  bird  in 
a  cage,  and  a  kitten  in  a  basket,  one  of  the  passengers  re- 
marked— "They  only  need  a  pony  in  that  boat,  to  make 
the  party  complete." 

To  say  we  found  a  landing-place  would  be  absolute 
fiction.  As  we  neared  the  shore  we  saw  a  quantity  of 
black,  slippery  rocks,  and  on  these  we  landed,  the  boat- 
men holding  the  boat  as  near  as  they  could,  and  we  climb- 
ing, and  slipping,  and  struggling  to  get  on  shore.  Our 
^agg^age  was  dumped  on  the  rocks  and  there  we  were — 
not  a  habitation  or  a  creature  in  sight.  At  last  we  found 
a  sort  of  house  behind  a  mass  of  rocks,  and  saw  several 
carriages  in  the  distance  which  we  supposed  were  for  us. 
Not  at  all!  Sir  R.'s  telegram  had  not  been  received  and 
those  were  carriages  waiting  for  a  "Corps"  which  was 


i888]  ARISHAIG  291 

being  conveyed  across  on  a  yacht.  We  tried  to  persuade 
them  to  take  some  of  us  at  any  rate,  and  at  last  with  great 
difficulty  one  carriage  was  given  to  us.  The  negotia- 
tions were  extremely  difficult,  as  nobody  spoke  anything 
but  Gaelic,  except  an  old  woman,  and  she  was  so  cross 
and  apparently  so  suspicious  of  the  whole  party  that  we 
got  on  better  by  signs  and  a  few  extra  shillings.  Sir  R. 
and  the  maids  walked  (4  miles  through  lovely  country) 
and  we  all  finally  arrived  at  the  little  fishing  village  of 
Arishaig,  where  there  is  a  good  inn.  It  is  a  little  place, 
three  or  four  fishermen's  cottages,  a  post-office,  and  two 
churches,  a  large  Roman  Catholic  Cathedral  and  a  small 
Established  Church.  We  had  a  good  lunch  and 
started  at  3.30,  getting  here  at  5.30.  Such  a  beautiful 
drive — all  blue  sky,  and  heather  almost  as  blue — and  great 
grey  mountains.  We  walked  up  two  very  steep  hills,  but 
had  such  glorious  views  at  the  top  that  we  didn't  mind  the 
climb. 

This  place  is  charming — the  house  fairly  large.  It 
stands  low  on  the  lake  or  arm  of  the  sea,  and  has  pine 
woods  and  high  mountains  behind.  It  is  absolutely  lonely 
— no  houses  near,  except  one  or  two  (agent's  and  farm- 
er's) that  belong  to  the  estate.  The  country  is  lovely, 
wild  and  picturesque,  but  it  would  be  a  terrible  place  to 
be  in  except  with  a  large  party.  There  is  nothing  nearer 
than  10  miles,  and  no  real  village  or  settlement  for  25. 
We  are  about  half  way  between  Fort  William  and  Aris- 
haig (each  20  or  25  miles  away).  I  think  all  our  pro- 
visions come  from  Fort  William.  A  stage  passes  twice 
a  day,  morning  and  evening.  Our  baggage  arrived  at 
10.30,  and  we  were  all  glad  to  go  to  bed,  as  we  had  be- 
gun our  day  early.  It  is  so  still  to-night — I  am  writing 
in  my  room — the  lake  looks  beautiful  in  the  moonlight, 
and  there  is  not  a  sound. 


292    LETTERS  OF  A  DIPLOMATS  WIFE   [Aug 

Inveraylort, 
Sunday,  August  19th. 

We  have  settled  down  most  comfortably  in  the  house, 
which  is  fairly  large,  but  we  are  never  indoors  except  to 
eat  and  sleep.  We  had  a  lovely  drive  yesterday  all 
through  this  property,  and  to  a  neighbour's  where  there  is 
a  pillar  to  show  where  Prince  Charlie  landed.  There  are 
many  Roman  Catholics  in  these  parts,  which  accounts  for 
the  large  church  in  the  little  fishing  village  of  Arishaig. 

This  morning  we  had  a  service  in  the  "Wash-house" 
— a  red-headed  Scotch  peasant  was  the  "Minister."  It 
was  a  curious  sort  of  independent  service,  impromptu 
prayers,  and  a  long  sermon.  The  congregation  consisted 
of  ourselves  and  the  household.  Miss  Cameron,  the 
owner  of  this  place,  who  is  staying  at  her  agent's  cottage 
on  the  place,  some  friends  of  hers,  and  the  people  of  the 
little  inn  where  the  daily  coach  from  Fort  William  stops 
for  rest  and  luncheon.  There  are  no  other  habitations  of 
any  kind  except  a  few  crofters'  cottages  across  the  lake. 
After  luncheon  we  went  for  a  long  walk  along  the  stream 
where  there  are  plenty  of  fish,  and  came  home  over  the 
hills.  They  are  blue  and  deep  purple,  with  heather,  and 
there  are  divine  views  in  every  direction. 

Thursday,  August  2  2d. 
It  is  again  a  beautiful  day.  We  intended  to  row  down 
to  see  some  friends  of  Sir  R.'s  about  5  or  6  miles  off 
at  the  mouth  of  the  lake,  where  it  runs  into  the  sea, 
but  there  is  some  trouble  about  the  boats.  Our  "pro- 
prietaire,"  Miss  C,  seems  to  have  singular  ideas  as  to  the 
respective  rights  of  owners  and  tenants.  It  was  so  fine 
and  cool  that  we  decided  to  walk,  and  the  B.'s  promised 
to  send  us  back  in  their  boat.  It  was  long,  but  the  path 
was  not  too  steep  all  along  the  lake,  and  we  arrived  not 


A  CROFTER'S  COTTAGE  293 

too  exhausted.  They  gave  us  tea,  showed  us  the  house 
and  garden,  and  we  started  back  about  9.  The  row  home 
was  enchanting,  but  weird — not  a  thing  to  be  seen  of  any 
kind,  except  seals,  which  came  up  close  to  the  boat.  I 
had  never  seen  one  near,  and  thought  at  first  they  were 
dogs  and  was  so  surprised  to  see  so  many  swimming 
about;  not  a  sound  except  the  splash  of  our  oars  in  the 
water  when  we  turned  our  backs  to  the  sea,  the  heather- 
covered  mountains  shutting  us  in  on  all  sides.  It  was 
quite  wild  and  beautiful,  but  a  solitude  that  would  be 
appalling  if  one  lived  altogether  in  the  country. 

Inveraylort,  August  27th. 
After  all  they  are  not  going  to  stay  the  month.  Sir  R. 
and  his  proprietor  can't  come  to  terms,  and  I  think  they 
will  probably  take  a  yacht  and  cruise  about  a  little.  The 
lake  is  decidedly  rough  this  morning,  but  still  we  thought 
we  must  row  across  to  some  crofters'  cottages.  They 
told  us  they  were  of  the  poorest  description,  and  we 
wanted  to  see  what  their  life  and  houses  were.  Most 
wretched  little  houses  (our  horses  much  better  off  in  their 
stables),  generally  one  room,  sometimes  two;  no  floor, 
merely  the  earth  trodden  hard,  and  covered  with  straw. 
To-day  it  had  been  raining;  there  were  puddles  in  the 
corners  and  the  straw  was  decidedly  damp.  A  peat  fire 
was  burning,  and  the  only  opening  (no  window)  was 
a  hole  in  the  thatched  roof,  which  lets  the  smoke  out 
and  the  rain  in.  An  old  woman  was  spinning  and  an 
old  man  was  sitting  in  the  corner  mending  a  fishing  net. 
They  were  tall,  gaunt  figures — might  be  any  age.  They 
spoke  nothing  but  Gaelic,  but  soon  a  young  woman  ap- 
peared on  the  scene  who  knew  English.  She  looked  as 
old  as  her  mother,  but  had  a  keen,  sharp  face.  I  was 
rather    interested    in    the    spinning-wheel,    so    the    two 


294    LETTERS  OF  A  DIPLOMAT'S  WIFE   [Aug. 

women  suggested  that  I  should  try;  but  I  could  do 
nothing.  Either  I  went  too  fast  and  broke  the  yarn, 
or  else  the  wheel  remained  absolutely  motionless.  I 
bought  some  yarn,  as  I  had  broken  various  bits,  and 
then  we  started  home,  carrying  away  an  impression  of 
wTetched  poverty  and  hard  lives  of  toil,  with  little  to 
lighten  the  burden. 

Oban,  August  29th. 

We  are  back  here  after  a  most  eventful  journey  from 
Inveraylort.  We  started  in  the  rain,  the  mist  closing 
round  us  and  blotting  out  the  whole  landscape.  We  had 
two  carriages,  but  the  pony  cart  came  to  grief,  and  the 
two  girls  and  Francis  were  thrown  out.  Miss  W.  had 
an  ugly  cut  on  her  face,  but  poor  N.  was  lying  on  the 
ground,  pale  and  suffering,  convinced  that  her  arm  was 
broken.  When  we  got  up  to  them  we  took  her  into  the 
waggonette  and  got  on  as  quickly  as  we  could  to  Caupar, 
our  destination,  where  we  had  been  told  of  a  wonderful 
bone-setter  who  was  well  known  in  all  these  parts.  He 
saw  at  once  what  was  wrong — her  shoulder  was  dislo- 
cated, and  said  she  must  not  continue  the  journey,  so 
we  left  her  there  with  her  sister  and  brother,  and  we 
came  on  here.  They  all  appeared  this  afternoon — N. 
with  her  arm  in  a  sling  and  looking  fairly  well.  She 
said  the  man  set  it  so  quickly  and  gently  she  hardly  had 
time  to  feel  any  pain. 

Oban, 
September  3d. 

We  had  a  beautiful  day  yesterday  for  our  excursion 
to  Staff  a  and  lona.  The  sea  was  perfectly  calm,  and 
the  lights  and  shades  on  the  mountains  enchanting.  It 
was  a  lovely  sail ;  sometimes  we  ran  into  little  shaded 
harbours  with  two  or  three  cottages  and  a  hotel  perched 


1888]  THE  PARIS  EXHIBITION  295 

high  up  on  the  top  of  a  mountain,  and  sometimes  passed 
so  close  to  land  under  the  great  cliffs  that  one  could 
throw  a  stone  on  the  shore.  The  islands  are  most  in- 
teresting, with  their  old  churches  and  their  curious  stone 
crosses,  and  there  were  not  too  many  people  on  the  boat. 
The  return  was  delicious  as  we  sat  on  deck,  watching  all 
the  colours  fade  away  from  sea  and  hills. 

We  leave  to-morrow  for  London  and  Paris,  and  I  am 
very  sorry  to  go.  We  have  enjoyed  our  three  weeks 
immensely.  The  country  is  so  beautiful,  and  then  it  was 
a  great  pleasure  to  be  with  some  of  my  own  people;  we 
have  been  away  so  long  that  the  family  ties  get  weaker. 
Francis  was  quite  happy  with  some  cousins  to  run  about 
with. 

To  G,  K,  S. 

Albert  Gate, 
May  21,  1889. 
I  got  back  from  Paris  last  night,  rather  sorry  to  come. 
The  weather  was  enchanting,  warm  and  bright,  and,  of 
course,  quantities  of  people  for  the  Exhibition.  It  isn't 
half  ready  yet,  but  is  most  interesting — so  much  to  see. 
I  dined  and  breakfasted  there  several  times  at  the  vari- 
ous restaurants — one  evening  with  the  Walter  Burns  and 
a  party,  and  we  went  afterward  to  see  the  "fontaines 
lumineuses,"  which  are  really  fairy-like;  but  such  a 
crowd.  I  also  heard  the  two  American  prima  donnas 
— Miss  Eames,  who  is  very  handsome,  has  a  fresh, 
young  voice,  and  is  an  ideal  Juliette.  She  is  a  vision 
really  in  her  bridal  dress  as  Juliette.  Miss  Sanderson 
is  also  very  handsome,  but  in  quite  a  different  style. 
Her  voice  is  very  high  and  true;  she  was  singing  "Esclar- 
monde"  at  the  Opera  Comique.  Massenet  has  taught 
her  everything.     I  have  found  quantities  of  invitations 


296    LETTERS   OF  A  DIPLOMAT'S  WIFE    [May 

here,  in  fact  was  obliged  to  come  over,  as  we  have  a  big 
dinner  the  day  after  to-morrow,  and  the  Court  ball. 

Tuesday,  May  28,  1889. 
We  had  our  first  encounter  with  Boulanger  this  morn- 
ing. W.  and  I  were  walking  our  horses  down  the  Row 
when  we  met  three  gentlemen  cantering  toward  us.  As 
they  passed  we  heard  they  were  speaking  French,  but 
didn't  pay  any  particular  attention.  I  merely  said,  "I 
wonder  who  those  men  are/'  one  so  rarely  hears  French 
spoken  in  the  Row.  A  few  minutes  later  we  met  Lord 
Charles  Beresford,  who  took  a  little  turn  with  us,  and 
said  to  W.,  'The  other  distinguished  Frenchman  is  also 
in  the  Row," — then  we  divined.  A  few  moments  after- 
w^ard  (the  Row  is  so  small  one  crosses  people  all  the 
time)  we  met  them  again,  Boulanger  in  the  middle  rid- 
ing his  famous  black  horse — a  man  on  each  side  riding 
good  horses,  chestnuts.  They  all  wore  top-hats,  which  no 
Englishmen  do  now  in  the  morning.  The  men  all  wear 
low  hats,  the  women  also,  and  covert  coats,  the  girls 
cotton  blouses;  not  at  all  the  correct  style  we  used  to 
admire  as  children  in  Punch  when  those  beautiful  women 
of  Leech's  riding  in  the  Park  filled  our  childish  hearts 
with  envy.  I  was  rather  curious  as  to  what  would  hap- 
pen, as  W.  knows  Boulanger  slightly,  and  went  to  him 
when  he  was  Minister  of  War  about  something  concern- 
ing the  military  attache;  however,  there  was  no  diffi- 
culty, as  Boulanger  was  apparently  too  engrossed  in 
conversation  with  his  companions  to  notice  anyone.  I 
wonder  if  we  shall  meet  him  anywhere?  They  tell  us 
that  some  of  the  society  people  mean  to  invite  him,  but  I 
suppose  they  will  scarcely  ask  us  together. 


1889]  A  DRAWING-ROOM  EPISODE  297 

Thursday,  May  30th. 
Yesterday  was  the  last  Drawing-room  of  this  season. 
I  rather  feel  as  if  it  were  my  last  in  London,  but  one 
never  knows.  We  (Corps  Diplomatique)  were  still  all 
in  black,  the  English  in  colours.  It  was  long  and  tiring. 
We  dined  at  Lord  Sudeley's — I  rather  wishing  I  had  no 
engagement.  I  am  always  tired  after  those  hours  of 
standing,  and  the  diadem  is  heavy,  and  the  train,  too, 
held  over  one's  arm;  however,  I  was  quite  repaid,  as  I 
had  a  charming  neighbour.  I  didn't  know  at  all  who 
he  was,  as  they  rarely  introduce  in  England,  so  we  em- 
barked on  one  of  those  banal,  inane  conversations  one 
has  with  a  stranger  of  whom  one  knows  nothing,  and 
were  talking  on  smoothly  about  nothing  at  all,  when  he 
remarked,  casually,  "I  suppose  you  never  go  to  church." 
This  I  at  once  resented  vehemently,  so  he  explained  that 
he  didn't  know,  as  I  was  a  Frenchwoman,  probably  a 
Catholic  (as  if  they  didn't  go  to  church),  etc.  He 
turned  out  to  be  Canon  Rogers,  a  charming,  intelligent, 
well-known  man,  most  independent  in  his  words  and 
actions.  He  is  rector  of  St.  Botolph's,  a  church  in 
Bishopsgate,  the  most  disreputable  part  of  London.  We 
became  great  friends,  and  he  asked  me  if  I  would  go 
and  lunch  with  him  one  Sunday,  and  he  would  show  me 
Petticoat  Lane.  I  agreed  of  course,  and  we  decided  for 
next  Sunday.  He  said  he  had  never  had  a  French  lady 
and  an  Ambassadress  as  a  guest,  and  didn't  quite  know 
what  to  do.  Should  he  ask  the  Prince  of  Wales  and 
order  champagne?  I  told  him  my  tastes  were  very 
simple,  and  if  I  might  bring  my  cousin  Hilda,  and  one 
of  the  Secretaries,  I  should  be  quite  happy — also  I  liked 
apple-pie,  which  he  says  his  cook  makes  very  well.  I 
haven't  had  such  a  pleasant  dinner  for  a  long  time. 


298    LETTERS   OF  A  DIPLOMAT'S  WIFE   Qune 

Monday,  June  3d. 
We  made  our  expedition  to  Bishopsgate  yesterday, 
and  most  interesting  it  was.  I  went  with  Hilda  and  M. 
Lecomte,  one  of  the  secretaries,  who  knows  Enghsh,  and 
is  very  keen  to  see  anything  a  httle  out  of  the  way.  We 
had  a  long  drive  to  the  church  through  the  city,  and 
arrived  only  to  hear  the  end  of  Canon  Rogers'  sermon, 
which  was  strong  and  practical.  As  soon  as  the  service 
was  over  we  went  down  to  the  door  and  found  him  and 
his  curate  waiting  for  us.  The  first  thing  he  did  was 
to  send  away  my  carriage,  which  had  already  attracted 
much  attention  with  the  tall  footman,  velvet  breeches, 
cockades,  etc.  He  said  he  would  never  venture  into 
Petticoat  Lane  in  such  an  equipage,  and  would  we  please 
share  his  modest  conveyance;  so  Hilda  and  I  got  into 
his  victoria,  and  Lecomte  and  the  curate  walked  close 
to  the  carriage  behind.  We  had  two  policemen  in  front, 
two  behind,  and  a  detective.  I  rather  demurred  to  such 
a  display  of  municipal  strength  on  my  account,  but  he 
said  it  was  necessary,  he  much  preferred  having  them, 
he  was  afraid  people  would  crowd  around  us  and  insist 
upon  my  buying  something.  The  street  was  narrow, 
crowded  with  people,  as  there  was  also  a  fair  going  on 
and  everything  imaginable  being  sold  (it  is  the  one  place 
in  London  where  you  can  buy  one  shoe  or  one  stocking!). 
The  people  were  almost  all  Jews,  and  I  must  say  they 
were  a  bad-looking  lot,  frightfully  rough  specimens. 
Some  of  the  women,  girls  too,  with  such  sullen,  scowl- 
ing faces.  We  went  at  a  foot's  pace  (the  only  carriage), 
and  hadn't  the  slightest  difficulty  in  making  our  way. 
Everyone  knew  Mr.  Rogers  and  spoke  to  him — "Good 
morning.  Governor,"  "God  bless  you,  Sir."  Two  or 
three  children  ran  up  to  him,  one  a  pretty  little  dark-eyed 
girl  breathless  to  tell  him  she  was  in  church,  though  she 


1889]  IN  PETTICOAT  LANE  299 

came  late.    He  was  so  nice  to  them  all,  called  them  all  by 
name,  patted  the  children  on  the  head,  and  exhorted  some 
of  the  women  to  keep  their  husbands  out  of  the  drinking 
shops,  and  to  wash  their  children's  faces.     They  say  he 
does  an  immense  amount  of  good  down  there,  but  it  must 
be  uphill  work.     I  have  rarely  seen  such  a  forbidding 
looking  set  of  people.     Some  of  the  women  came  up 
rather  close  to  the  low  victoria  and  made  comments  on 
our   garments.      (We  had   dressed  very   simply  at  his 
request.   I  wore  my  blue  foulard  and  a  blue  straw  bonnet 
with  iris  on  it.    Hilda  was  in  light  grey  with  a  black  hat.) 
*'You  have  got  a  beautiful  bonnet,  my  lady.    Oh,  look  at 
herumbrell!"    The  "umbrell"  excited  much  attention.    I 
couldn't  think  why  at  first,  as  it  was  also  rather  dark  and 
plain;  when  I  remembered  that  it  had  a  watch  in  the 
handle  upon  which,   of  course,  all  eyes  were  fixed.     I 
think  the  detective  kept  his  eye  upon  it  too,  as  he  came 
up  rather  close  on  my  side.    The  detective  took  Lecomte 
to  a  famous  jeweller's  shop  near  in  Whitechapel,  where 
there  had  been  a  murder  some  days  ago.     We  drove  all 
through   the  fair  surrounded  by   these  villainous  faces 
(here  and  there  a  pretty,  fair,  innocent,  childish  face)  and 
I  wasn't  sorry  to  get  back  to  civilisation  and  the  rectory, 
though  I  am  very  glad  to  have  seen  it.    The  rectory  is  a 
large  old-fashioned  house  in  Devonshire  Square,  shut  in 
with  high  houses  and  high  trees,  and  never,  I  should 
think,  could  a  ray  of  sunshine  get  anywhere  near  it. 
One  felt  miles  away  from  London  and  life  of  any  kind. 
It  was  a  curious  contrast  to  the  turbulent,  noisy,  seeth- 
ing crowd  we  had  just  left.     We  had  a  charming  break- 
fast,  Mr.   Rogers   talking  all  the   time   delightfully,   so 
original  and  so  earnest,  convinced  that  everyone  in  their 
small  circle  could  do  so  much  to  help,  not  only  the  poor 
but  the  really  bad,  if  only  by  example  and  a  little  sym- 


300    LETTERS  OF  A  DIPLOMAT'S  WIFE   [June 

pathy;  he  says  no  one  ever  helps  the  bad  ones,  only  the 
deserving  poor  get  looked  after. 

About  3.30  we  started  again  to  see  the  People's  Pal- 
ace, v^^hich  he  takes  great  interest  in,  and  hopes  he  may 
succeed  in  keeping  the  men  away  from  the  drinking 
shops  in  the  evening.  It  looked  comfortable  and  prac- 
tical, the  reading-room  particularly,  which  is  large  and 
airy,  with  all  sorts  of  morning  and  evening  papers  (some 
foreign  ones),  illustrated  papers,  and  good,  standard 
books.  The  librarian  told  me  that  Walter  Scott  was 
always  asked  for,  also  some  American  books,  particu- 
larly Indian  stories,  and  travels  of  all  kinds.  I  was 
rather  interested  in  hearing  that,  as  whenever  W.  gives 
books  to  a  school  library,  or  prizes  in  France,  Walter 
Scott  or  Fenimore  Cooper  are  still  the  favourites  (trans- 
lated, of  course.  I  read  the  "Last  of  the  Mohicans" 
in  French,  and  it  was  very  well  done).  There  were  not 
many  people,  but  Mr.  Rogers  says  on  a  fine,  warm  Sun- 
day they  all  prefer  to  be  in  the  open  air.  There  is  also 
a  large  swimming  bath,  given  by  Lord  Rosebery.  We 
parted  from  our  host  at  the  door,  having  had  a  delightful 
afternoon.  It  is  a  long  time  since  I  have  heard  anyone 
talk  who  interested  me  so  much. 

The  drive  home  along  the  Embankment  was  nice — 
quantities  of  people  out,  quite  like  a  Sunday  in  France. 
We  dined  quietly  at  home.  W.  was  much  interested  in 
my  day.  I  think  if  he  had  known  exactly  where  I  was 
going,  and  that  an  escort  of  police  was  necessary,  he 
wouldn't  have  agreed  to  the  expedition. 

To  H.  L.  K. 

Thursday,  June  4,  1889. 
The  Court  Ball  was  brilliant  last  night.     The  Prince 
opened  the  ball  with  Princess  Louise,  and  the  Princess 


i889]  THE  SHAH  OF  PERSIA  301 

with  Lord  Fife.  The  engagement  of  Princess  Louise  of 
Wales  to  Lord  Fife  is  just  announced,  and  has  of  course 
created  quite  a  sensation.  Of  course  there  are  two  cur- 
rents of  opinion — the  old-fashioned  people  are  rather 
shocked  at  the  idea  of  a  Royal  Princess  marrying  a  sub- 
ject; but  I  fancy  the  entourage  of  the  Prince  and  Prin- 
cess of  Wales  are  pleased, — and  Fife  is  a  general  favour- 
ite. It  is  not  very  easy  for  the  English  princesses  to 
marry.  They  must  marry  Protestants,  and  there  are  not 
many  Protestant  princes  who  are  not  near  relations. 

I  talked  a  little  to  the  Shah,  but  I  didn't  find  that  very 
amusing.  He  knows  very  little  English  or  French,  and 
has  a  most  disagreeable  way  of  looking  hard  at  one.  He 
planted  himself  directly  in  front  of  me,  very  close,  and 
said  "he  thought  he  had  seen  me  before,"  which  of  course 
he  had,  in  Paris. 

It  seems  that  one  of  the  Princesses  pointed  out  to  him, 
in  the  supper-room,  a  lady  neither  very  young  nor  very 
beautiful,  who  was  covered  with  splendid  jewels,  think- 
ing they  might  interest  him.  He  stopped  short  in  front 
of  her — then  turned  his  back  at  once,  saying  ''monstre." 
They  say  he  finds  no  woman  handsome  who  has  passed 
twenty. 

Tuesday,  July  2d. 

It  was  a  splendid  summer  day  yesterday,  ideal,  for  the 
Shah's  arrival  by  water.  We  drove  down  to  the  Speak- 
er's to  see  him  come.  The  streets  were  lined  with  troops, 
and  there  were  quantities  of  people  about.  They  let  us 
drive  through  the  Mall  and  to  Westminster  between  the 
lines  of  soldiers  (all  the  trafiic  was  stopped).  Almost 
all  the  houses  and  balconies  on  the  way  were  draped  with 
red,  and  crowded  with  women  in  their  light,  gay  sum- 
mer dresses.  There  were  a  good  many  people  at  the 
Speaker's,  who  gave  us  some  tea  and  strawberries.     The 


302    LETTERS  OF  A  DIPLOMAT'S  WIFE    [July 

Royal  Barge  arrived  very  punctually.  It  was  not  very 
beautiful — an  ordinary  river  steamer,  painted  light  grey, 
with  gold  lines,  and  fitted  up  with  palms,  red  cushions, 
and  carpets,  etc.  The  Thames  was  a  pretty  sight,  such 
quantities  of  boats  of  all  kinds.  We  saw  everything 
quite  well.  There  was  a  fair  procession  of  state  carriages, 
and  an  escort  of  Life  Guards;  but  what  a  barbarian  the 
Shah  looks,  with  his  embroidered  coat  and  his  big  jew- 
els, and  his  coarse,  bad  face — however  he  was  smiling, 
and  seemed  pleased  with  his  reception. 

We  waited  to  let  the  crowd  disperse  a  little,  and  then 
came  home  the  same  way  through  Constitution  Hill.  We 
met  the  Prince  and  Princess  coming  back  from  Bucking- 
ham Palace.  Both  looked  very  well — he  in  uniform,  and 
she  in  white,  extraordinarily  young  in  face  and  figure. 
The  two  princes,  Eddy  and  George,  were  with  them,  and 
they  were  much  applauded  as  they  passed.  In  the  even- 
ing we  had  a  musical  party  at  Blumenthal's.  The  garden 
was  lighted  and  everyone  sitting  outside.  The  party  was 
in  honour  of  Princess  Louise,  and  the  music  very  good, 
as  it  always  is  there.  Mdme.  Grondal,  a  Swedish  woman, 
played  beautifully,  and  Plunkett  Greene  sang  very  well. 
He  always  brings  down  the  house  with  'T'm  Off  to  Phil- 
adelphy  in  the  Morning."  Lord  Lome  took  me  to  sup- 
per. I  always  like  to  talk  to  him.  He  was  not  much  im- 
pressed with  his  Persian  Majesty  either — thought  the 
days  of  Eastern  potentates  were  over.  I  asked  him  what 
he  had  come  for,  and  why  the  English  were  so  civil  to 
him;  to  which  he  replied,  "Oh,  I  suppose  some  of  the 
swells  want  concessions,  or  railways." 

Monday,  July  8,  1889. 
We  went  to  Hatfield  this  morning,  where  there  was  a 
luncheon  party  for  the  Shah.     It  was  decidedly  grey  and 


1889]    LUNCHEON  PARTY  AT  HATFIELD     303 

uncertain,  in  fact,  raining  a  little  when  we  started,  and 
I  looked  once  or  twice  at  my  creme  linon  trimmed  with 
Valenciennes — but  as  I  had  ordered  it  especially  for  that 
occasion,  I  decided  to  wear  it.  I  put  on  a  long  cloak  for 
the  train.  The  Hatfield  parties  are  always  very  well  ar- 
ranged— trains  starting  every  ten  minutes.  It  is  hardly 
three-quarters  of  an  hour  from  London.  There  were 
lots  of  people,  and  the  short  trajet  passed  quickly  enough. 
All  the  women  were  looking  at  each  other  to  see  the 
dresses,  as  the  weather  was  really  bad.  At  Hatfield,  one 
of  Lord  Salisbury's  sons  was  at  the  station  to  receive  the 
swells.  I  got  separated  in  the  crowd  from  W.,  so  Lord 
Edward  put  me  into  a  brougham,  and  asked  me  if  I 
would  take  another  Ambassador,  as  mine  was  missing 
for  the  moment.  I  agreed,  of  course,  so  Comte  Hatz- 
feldt  came  with  me.  There  was  a  large  party  staying  in 
the  house,  including  the  Prince  and  Princess,  the  Shah, 
and  various  members  of  the  family  and  Court.  Lady 
Salisbury  was  standing  at  one  of  the  big  doors  opening 
on  the  terrace.  Lord  Salisbury,  she  told  me,  was  taking 
the  Shah  for  a  drive  in  the  park.  We  all  loitered  about  a 
little  on  the  terrace.  The  rain  had  stopped  and,  though 
there  was  no  sun,  the  house  looked  beautiful  with  its  grey 
walls  and  splendid  lines.  The  first  person  I  saw  was  the 
Due  d'Aumale,  and  we  had  quite  a  talk  while  waiting  for 
luncheon.  The  Prince  also  came  out  and  talked.  Lunch- 
eon was  served  at  small,  round  tables  in  the  great  dining- 
room.  As  Doyens  we  were  at  the  Royal  table.  The 
Prince  took  me,  and  I  had  next  to  me  the  Grand  Vizier, 
who  had  taken  in  Lady  Londonderry.  She  is  very  hand- 
some, very  well  dressed,  and  the  Grand  Vizier  enjoyed 
himself  very  much.  It  seems  he  is  a  very  difficult  gen- 
tleman, and  at  some  man's  house  party,  Ferdinand  Roths- 
child's, I  think,  he  was  not  pleased  with  his  reception, 


304    LETTERS   OF  A  DIPLOMAT'S  WIFE    Quly 

or  his  place  at  the  table,  and  declined  to  come  downstairs. 
There  were  about  70  people  at  luncheon,  and  as  many 
more,  they  told  me,  upstairs.  Quantities  of  flowers,  sil- 
ver, servants,  etc.,  and  a  band  playing.  After  breakfast 
we  all  adjourned  to  the  terrace  and  some  photographic 
groups  were  taken.  There  was  some  wonderful  shooting 
by  some  Americans  which  interested  the  Persians  very 
much,  and  one  of  the  Shah's  suite  was  most  anxious  to 
try  his  hand  at  it,  and  forcibly  took  a  rifle  from  the 
American,  who  protested  vigorously,  but  the  Persian 
kept  hold  of  his  gun  and  evidently  meant  to  shoot,  so 
the  American  appealed  directly  to  the  Prince,  saying 
there  would  be  an  accident  if  he  was  allowed  to  go  on; 
and  the  Prince  interfered  and  persuaded  the  irate  Orien- 
tal to  give  up  his  weapon. 

They  had  asked  a  great  many  people  to  tea,  but  evi- 
dently the  rain  had  kept  many  away.  The  toilettes  were 
most  varied — every  description  of  costume,  from  the 
Duchess  of  Rutland  in  white  satin  and  diamonds  (large 
stones  sewed  all  over  the  body  of  her  dress)  to  the 
simplest  description  of  blue  serge,  covert  coat,  and  even 
a  waterproof  carried  over  one's  arm.  I  was  thinking  of 
going  to  get  a  cup  of  tea,  when  I  crossed  again  the  Due 
d'Aumale,  who  was  also  looking  for  the  tea-table,  so  we 
went  off  together  and  had  a  pleasant  "quart  d'heure." 
He  is  always  so  nice  to  W.  and  me,  and  is  so  distin- 
guished-looking wherever  he  is — such  extraordinary 
charm  of  manner  and  so  soldierly.  He  had  been  much 
amused  by  the  stories  he  had  heard  of  the  eccentricities 
of  the  Persian  suite.  One  of  the  ladies  staying  in  the 
house  found  two  gentlemen  sitting  on  her  bed  when  she 
went  up  to  dress  for  dinner.  I  must  say  I  think  it  was 
awfully  good  of  Lady  Salisbury  to  ask  them  all  to  stay. 


Group  at  Hatfield  House  during  the  visit  of  the  Shah  of  Persia,  July,  8,  1889. 

The  following- are  among- those  in  the  picture:  Prince  of  Wales;  Lord  Salisbury;  Shah  of 
Persia;  Princess  of  Wales  ;  Rusteni,  Turkish  Ambassador  ;  Hatzfeldt,  German  Ambassador; 
Lord  Halsbury,  the  Lord  Chancellor;  M.  de  Staal,  Russian  Ambassador;  Due  d'Aumale ; 
Countess  of  Cadogan  ;  M.  Waddington,  French  Aniliassador  ;  Madame  Waddin^jton  ;  Countess 
of  Galloway;  Duchess  of  Devonshire. 

From  a  photograph  by  Russell  &  Sons,  London. 


i889]  A  ROYAL  MARRIAGE  305 

Saturday,  July  27th. 

Princess  Louise  of  Wales  and  Fife  were  married  this 
morning  in  the  small  chapel  at  Buckingham  Palace, 
Very  few  people  were  asked,  no  diplomats  except  Falbe, 
Danish  Minister,  who  is  a  great  favourite  at  Court,  and 
asked  always.  The  streets,  especially  Piccadilly,  were 
crowded  with  people.  We  had  to  go  round  by  Belgrave 
Square  and  Buckingham  Palace  to  get  to  Marlborough 
House.  We  were  invited  at  2  o'clock  to  see  the  bride 
and  the  presents.  The  wedding  party  drove  up  just  as 
we  arrived.  Fife's  coach,  dark  green  with  green  and  gold 
liveries,  was  very  handsome.  The  Princess  of  Wales 
looked  radiant,  and  the  bride  charming — beautifully 
dressed  and  just  pale  enough  to  be  interesting.  The 
King  of  Greece  and  Crown  Prince  of  Denmark  were  both 
there.  The  presents  were  beautiful — every  imaginable 
thing  in  diamonds  and  silver.  The  Prince  and  Princess's 
tiara  very  handsome — also  Fife's.  There  was  a  buffet 
and  tea  in  the  garden,  also  in  the  drawing-rooms;  and 
we  waited  to  see  the  young  couple  start.  They  looked 
very  happy  and  smiling.  Their  carriage  was  very  hand- 
some, with  four  black  horses  and  an  outrider.  Every- 
one cheered  and  threw  rice  after  them.  They  started 
with  a  Royal  escort,  but  at  the  top  of  the  park  Fife  sent 
it  back,  and  they  made  their  entry  into  Sheen  in  his  car- 
riage only.  They  said  he  made  a  condition  that  there 
should  be  no  lady-in-waiting,  that  his  wife  should  be 
Duchess  of  Fife  only;  but  of  course  she  can  never  lose 
her  rank.  None  but  Ambassadors  were  asked  to  the  re- 
ception at  Marlborough  House — no  other  diplomats, 

July  30th. 
We  had  our  last  dinner  this  season — musical  and  all 
Italians,  Tosti,  Vinci,  and  Picolellis.     Mme.  de  Florian 


3o6    LETTERS  OF  A  DIPLOMAT'S  WIFE    [Jan. 

came  in  late  with  her  dinner  guests,  among  others  the 
Duchesse  de  Richeheu,  who  is  very  fond  of  music.  Tosti 
is  dehghtful  once  he  gets  to  the  piano,  sings  (with  no 
voice)  and  plays  whatever  one  wants — his  own  music, 
anybody's,  and  always  so  simply.  It  was  very  warm. 
We  all  sat  and  stood  on  the  balcony  when  we  were  not 
playing  and  singing. 

To  G.  K.  S. 

Hatfield,  January  8,  1891. 
We  came  down  last  night  for  dinner.  It  was  very 
cold,  snow  and  ice  in  London,  and  skating  everywhere. 
We  are  not  a  very  large  party — the  family,  some  of  Lord 
Salisbury's  secretaries,  Casa  Laiglesia  (just  made  Am- 
bassador— very  happy.  Spain  had  only  a  Minister  here 
till  now),  the  Duke  and  Duchess  of  Newcastle,  etc.  After 
dinner  the  older  members  of  the  party  played  whist,  and 
the  young  ones  danced  in  the  great  hall.  This  time  we 
have  King  James  I.'s  rooms,  an  enormous  bed  (with  a 
Royal  crown  on  the  top)  where  he  really  slept.  We 
have  been  out  all  day;  the  gentlemen  went  ofif  early  to 
shoot,  and  I  got  down  about  12.  I  found  some  of  the 
young  women,  Ladies  Cranborne  and  Northcote,  in  the 
hall  and  we  decided  we  would  go  and  skate.  It  w^as  bit- 
terly cold,  but  no  wind,  and  the  pond  is  not  far,  just  at 
the  end  of  the  terrace.  There  was  a  little  wooden  house 
on  the  edge  where  we  put  on  our  skates,  and  plenty  of 
chairs  and  canes.  Ladies  Northcote  and  Gwendoline 
Cecil  skate  very  well.  Lady  Salisbury  came  down  to  the 
pond,  took  a  broom  from  one  of  the  numerous  sweepers, 
and  swept  hard  to  keep  herself  warm.  After  lunch  I 
went  for  a  sleigh  ride  with  Lady  Salisbury  in  a  pretty 
little  one-horse  sleigh  she  had  bought  at  the  Exhibition. 


Lord  Salisbury. 
From  a  photograph  by  Lambert  Weston  <X:  Son,  Dover. 


1890  SKATING  307 

It  was  very  good  going  in  the  park,  but  we  bumped  occa- 
sionally going  across  the  fields.  To-night  we  broke  up 
rather  early;  we  were  all  tired  with  the  first  day's  skat- 
ing, and  the  men  with  their  shooting. 

Friday. 
It  has  been  again  a  beautiful  winter's  day,  and  we  have 
skated  all  the  afternoon  until  dark.  Lady  Salisbury  came 
again  with  her  broom  and  swept  vigorously.  It  seems 
many  doctors  recommend  sweeping  now  for  women  who 
need  exercise  and  cannot  ride  or  walk.  We  tried  hard 
to  make  Casa  Laiglesia  come  down  to  the  pond,  but  he 
refused  absolutely — that  was  not  at  all  his  idea  of  pleas- 
ure. We  spent  some  time  in  the  library  looking  over 
some  of  the  old  manuscripts  of  the  time  of  Queen  Eliza- 
beth and  King  Philip  of  Spain,  and  we  saw  him  taking 
a  short,  very  short  turn  on  the  terrace  in  the  sun, 
wrapped  up  so  as  to  be  almost  "meconnaissable." 

London,  January  i8th. 

It  is  still  very  cold — the  Serpentine  is  quite  frozen, 
and  quantities  of  people  skating.  The  ice  is  very  bad, 
rather  like  a  ploughed  field,  but  it  is  amusing  to  see  all 
the  people.  We  have  been  this  afternoon  to  Wimbledon, 
and  there  it  was  delightful.  There  was  quite  a  large 
part  reserved  and  beautifully  smooth,  belonging  to  a 
club;  so  Comte  de  St.  Genys  (one  of  the  secretaries), 
who  was  with  us,  sent  in  his  card,  saying  he  was  there 
with  the  French  Ambassadress;  and  they  were  most 
civil,  brought  us  chairs,  and  begged  us  to  come  back 
whenever  we  liked.  We  saw  some  beautiful  fancy  skat- 
ing, both  men  and  women.  We  skated  afterward  a  lit- 
tle on  the  big  lake  to  see  the  people.  It  was  a  beautiful 
day,  and  a  very  pretty  sight,  quite  like  a  Dutch  picture. 

I  was  interrupted  by  a  visit   from  Mr.  Bryce.     He 


3o8    LETTERS  OF  A  DIPLOMAT'S  WIFE    [Feb. 

came  really  to  ask  about  you  and  to  know  if  you  would 
stay  on  at  Alassio.  He  spoke  so  warmly  and  admiringly 
of  Schuyler  that  it  was  a  pleasure  to  hear  him.  He  said 
he  was  certainly  the  cleverest,  most  cultivated  American 
he  had  ever  seen,  that  he  had  never  met  anyone  who 
knew  so  many  things  well.  He  couldn't  conceive  how 
any  Government  that  had  such  a  man  to  place  could  have 
let  any  party  feeling  prevent  them  from  giving  him  a 
prominent  place,  in  their  own  interest. 

Albert  Gate, 
Thursday,  February  19th. 

We  have  had  a  funny  day.  There  was  a  sale  of  horses, 
hunters  principally,  at  Cricklewood,  a  place  just  outside 
of  London,  where  they  have  very  good  horses.  We  have 
been  there  several  times  with  Deichmann,  who  has  al- 
ways fine  horses,  and  have  bought  two  or  three  ourselves. 
I  am  looking  for  a  saddle  horse,  so  W.  and  I  drove  out 
the  other  day,  and  I  tried  two  which  I  liked  very  much 
(there  is  a  riding-school  where  one  can  try).  Then 
Newman,  the  head  man,  rode  them  over  some  hurdles 
to  show  me  how  well  they  jumped.  They  promised  to 
let  us  know  when  the  sale  would  be,  and  yesterday  sent 
word  we  must  come  to-day.  I  drove  out  with  Hilda  in 
her  pony  carriage.  We  drew  up  close  to  the  ring  and 
the  auctioneer's  stand  and  saw  everything  well.  Her 
horses  were  taken  out  and  we  made  ourselves  as  com- 
fortable as  we  could  with  furs  and  couvertures.  It  was 
bitterly  cold,  with  a  high  wind  that  cut  one  in  two.  W. 
and  Deichmann  wandered  about  in  the  crowd.  The  col- 
lection of  people  was  most  amazing,  horsey  to  a  degree; 
horse  dealers,  trainers,  jockeys,  racing  men  and  women 
— a  few  gentlemen  here  and  there,  not  many.  There 
was  a  champagne  lunch  going  on  at  Newman's,  but  that 


iSgil  A  SALE  OF  HORSES  309 

we  declined — so  they  brought  us  tea  and  excellent  bread 
and  butter  to  the  carriage.  The  two  horses  I  had  tried 
were  among  the  first  and  I  hoped  I  should  get  one  of 
them,  but  they  brought  much  more  than  the  dealers  sup- 
posed they  would.  They  looked  extremely  well  when 
they  were  brought  out  first,  galloped  over  the  grass,  and 
then  jumping  their  hurdles  beautifully,  taking  them  eas- 
ily in  a  long  stride  (of  course  they  were  beautifully  han- 
dled, every  point  made  the  most  of).  W.  made  various 
bids,  but  when  it  got  beyond  a  certain  sum  he  wouldn't 
give  any  more,  as  it  was  a  fancy  price  and  could  have 
gone  up  indefinitely.  I  was  rather  disappointed,  as  I  had 
set  my  heart  on  the  black  horse.  It  was  cold  driving 
home  in  the  teeth  of  the  wind.  We  dined  with  the  Deich- 
manns,  with  some  of  our  colleagues,  and  everyone  was 
discussing  the  Empress  Frederick's  visit  to  Versailles. 
Until  then  everything  had  gone  most  swimmingly,  but 
of  course  all  French  people  were  "froisses"  at  that.  I 
don't  exactly  understand  her  going.  She  is  so  intelli- 
gent, and  had  apparently  realised  quite  well  how  diffi- 
cult it  would  be  for  her  ever  to  go  to  Paris.  Years  ago 
in  Rome,  where  we  met  her  almost  every  night,  she  told 
us  she  was  so  anxious  to  go  to  Paris,  but  she  was  afraid 
she  could  not  manage  it.  She  wanted  very  much  to  meet 
Renan — admired  his  books  so  much,  and  his  great  intel- 
ligence ;  and  I  think  she  would  have  been  delighted  with 
him.  He  was  a  charming  talker  on  every  subject,  and 
so  easy. 

To  G.  K.  S. 

Albert  Gate, 
Tuesday,  March  10,  1891. 

We  had  an  awful  storm  yesterday,  a  regular  blizzard, 
and  a  terrible  night  in  the  Channel.     One  of  the  good 


310    LETTERS   OF  A  DIPLOMAT'S   WIFE  [Mar. 

boats,  the  Victoria,  was  out  all  night,  not  daring  to  land 
at  either  Dover  or  Calais.  One  of  our  young  attaches 
was  on  board,  bringing  over  despatches,  and  they  say  he 
looked  green  when  he  finally  did  arrive.  The  trains  were 
snowed  up  everywhere,  even  between  Folkestone  and 
London,  and  the  passengers  nearly  frozen  and  starved. 
It  seems  incredible  in  such  a  short  distance.  The  young 
men  are  generally  rather  eager  to  bring  over  despatches, 
but  I  rather  think  this  one  won't  try  it  again,  in  winter 
at  any  rate.  I  am  extraordinarily  lucky  in  my  crossings, 
because  probably  I  am  a  good  sailor.  I  go  backward  and 
forward  in  all  seasons  and  always  have  good  weather. 
The  Florians  have  had  some  wonderful  crossings,  nine 
hours  between  Calais  and  Dover,  both  of  them  tied  in 
their  chairs,  and  the  chairs  tied  to  the  mast. 

Thursday,  March  12,  1891. 
Yesterday  we  were  at  Windsor  to  dine  and  sleep.  The 
party  was  small — Staal,  the  Russian  Ambassador,  Lord 
Hartington,  Sir  Frederick  Leighton,  Lord  and  Lady 
Curzon,  Countess  Perponcher  and  Count  Seckendorfif  in 
attendance  on  the  Empress  Frederick,  and  of  course  the 
regular  members  of  the  Queen's  Household.  Lady  An- 
trim was  in  waiting.  We  assembled  as  usual  in  the  long 
corridor  close  to  the  door  by  which  the  Royal  party  en- 
tered. We  were  all  in  black,  as  the  Empress  was  there. 
The  Queen  and  the  Empress  came  in  together.  The 
Queen  shook  hands  with  me  and  the  two  Ambassadors — 
the  Empress  with  me  only,  bowing  to  the  others.  She  is 
still  in  deep  mourning — her  dress  black  (woollen  stuff 
of  some  kind)  covered  with  crepe,  and  a  crepe  veil  ar- 
ranged in  a  point,  or  sort  of  Mary  Stuart  cap,  on  the  top 
of  her  head,  and  falling  behind  to  the  edge  of  her  skirt. 
The  corsage  was  a  little  open,  and  she  had  a  splendid 


i89i]  DINNER  AT  WINDSOR  3" 

necklace  of  pearls,  also  a  miniature  of  the  Emperor  Fred- 
erick set  in  diamonds  fastened  on  the  front  of  her  bodice. 
The  dress  was  very  becoming — she  looked  very  stately 
and  graceful  as  she  walked  through  the  corridor.  She 
gave  her  arm  to  the  Queen,  and  they  walked  in  first  to 
the  dining-room,  the  Empress  sitting  next  to  the  Queen 
on  her  right.  W.  followed  with  Princess  Beatrice,  sit- 
ting on  the  Queen's  left;  Staal  with  Princess  Marga- 
retta,  and  sat  on  the  right  of  the  Empress.  Lord  Hart- 
ington  took  me.  The  Queen  talked  a  great  deal  to  W. 
— the  Empress  joined  in  occasionally.  They  were  both 
much  interested  in  the  Protestants  in  France,  and  wanted 
to  know  if  the  feeling  was  as  strong  as  in  the  old  days 
of  Huguenots  and  Catholics.  I  think  there  is  a  very 
strong  feeling,  and  it  is  rare  when  a  French  Protestant 
marries  a  Catholic — rarer  still  when  they  become  Catho- 
lics. 

The  dinner  is  always  quickly  served,  and  the  conver- 
sation nil.  Nobody  talks  except  those  who  are  next  the 
Princesses.  The  cercle  was,  as  usual,  in  the  corridor 
between  the  two  doors.  The  Queen  stood  a  little,  but  not 
all  the  time.  She  spoke  to  me  about  Johannes  Wolff — 
admired  his  playing  so  much.  The  Empress  talked  a 
long  time  to  W.,  and  spoke  immediately  about  her  visit 
to  Paris  and  Versailles,  which  was  rather  awkward  for 
him,  as  he  regretted  very  much  that  she  had  gone.  All 
the  first  part  of  her  stay  went  so  well.  She  told  W. 
she  had  had  nothing  but  respect,  and  even  sympathy 
wherever  she  had  been,  and  that  she  was  much  as- 
tonished and  distressed  when  she  saw  the  papers  and 
found  what  a  storm  was  raging  in  the  press.  The 
Queen  said  a  few  words  to  me  about  the  visit,  and 
seemed  to  think  it  was  a  radical  demonstration 
against  the  Government.     I  answered  vaguely  that  all 


312    LETTERS  OF  A  DIPLOMAT'S  WIFE  [Mar. 

radicals  made  mischief — it  wasn't  a  very  easy  sub- 
ject to  discuss.  The  cercle  was  not  very  long — 
about  three-quarters  of  an  hour — and  then  the  Court  re- 
tired, the  two  Sovereigns  going  out  as  they  came  in, 
together.  We  finished  the  evening  in  the  drawing-room, 
but  broke  up  early.  W.  went  off  to  smoke,  and  I  had  a 
nice  hour  in  the  beautiful  little  yellow  salon.  I  had  a 
splendid  fire,  quantities  of  candles  (always  my  mania — 
I  hate  lamps,  particularly  in  these  days  of  petroleum), 
and  was  quite  happy.  Adelaide  was  very  eloquent  over 
the  style  of  the  housekeeper's  room,  and  was  funny  over 
Charles,  our  French  footman,  and  his  indignation  at 
being  excluded  from  the  society  of  the  valets  and  ladies' 
maids.  W.'s  man  was  ill,  so  he  took  the  French  foot- 
man, who  has  often  done  his  service.  That  gentleman 
being  in  livery  was  considered  one  of  the  lower  servants 
(sat  some  way  below  the  salt)  and  when  the  swells  (Ade- 
laide, of  course,  included)  retired  to  the  housekeeper's 
room  for  dessert  and  coffee  he  remained  w^ith  the  under 
servants.  All  these  domestic  arrangements  are  quite  un- 
heard of  in  France — any  distinctions  of  that  kind  would 
set  the  whole  establishhient  in  a  storm. 

It  was  a  cold  night,  snow  lying  thick  on  the  ground, 
clouds  dark  and  low,  and  the  great  towers  looked  grim 
and  formidable.  W.  came  in  about  12 — said  the  talk  in 
the  fumoir  was  pleasant.  He  likes  Count  Seckendorfif 
very  much,  finds  him  intelligent  and  moderate  and  sensi- 
ble in  his  opinions — like  all  men  who  have  knocked  about 
a  great  deal  and  who  know,  not  only  other  countries  but 
the  people  of  the  country.  After  all,  churches,  and  pal- 
aces, and  picture  galleries  have  a  certain  ''resemblance," 
but  people  -are  different,  and  sometimes  very  interesting. 
We  came  away  this  morning  at  10.30.  I  did  not  see 
anyone  except  Lady  Antrim,  as  I  never  go  to  the  dining- 


I89I]  SOCIAL    DIVERSIONS  3^3 

room  for  breakfast.  I  was  ready  a  little  before  the  time, 
and  wandered  about  the  corridor  a  little,  looking  at  all 
the  pictures.  I  met  Staal  doing  the  same  thing.  There 
is  so  much  to  see. 

It  is  a  beautiful  bright  day,  and  Hyde  Park  looked 
very  animated  as  we  drove  through.  Everyone  was 
w^aiting  to  see  the  Queen  pass.  She  arrived  about  an 
hour  after  us,  as  there  is  a  Drawing-room  to-morrow. 
We  had  some  music  this  afternoon — 2  pianos,  8  hands — 
and  we  play  rather  well  a  splendid  symphony  of  Brahms' 
— not  at  all  easy.  We  dined  with  Mr.  Henry  Petre,  one 
of  the  most  soigne  dinners  in  London.  It  is  always 
pleasant  at  his  house — they  say  it  is  because  he  is  a  bach- 
elor, which  is  not  very  flattering  to  its,  but  I  think  it  is 
true,  I  don't  know  why.  As  we  were  out  we  went  on, 
as  they  say  here,  to  Lady  Aberdeen,  who  had  a  small 
dance,  but  did  not  stay  very  long,  as  it  was  rather  a 
young  company.  People  always  say  there  is  nothing 
going  on  in  London  before  the  season,  but  we  dine  out 
every  night  and  often  have  (I  at  least)  something  in  the 
afternoon — a  tea,  or  music.  I  don't  believe  anybody 
ever  dines  at  home  in  London.  The  theatres  are  always 
crowded,  quite  as  much  as  in  Paris.  Hilda  and  I  went 
the  other  night  with  Count  Seckendorff  to  see  "Charlie's 
Aunt,"  a  ridiculous  farce  which  is  having  a  great  suc- 
cess. He  protested  at  first  at  our  choice — would  have 
preferred  something  more  classic,  but  he  was  perfectly 
amused  (though  protesting  all  the  time).  The  piece  is 
absolutely  stupid,  but  so  well  played  that  the  house  was 
in  roars  of  laughter,  and  that  is  always  infectious.  The 
man  who  played  the  part  of  the  maiden  aunt  was  extra- 
ordinarily well  got  up.  His  black  silk  dress  and  mittens 
were  lovely — he  looked  really  a  prim  old  spinster  and 
managed  his  skirts  so  well. 


314    LETTERS  OF  A  DIPLOMAT'S  WIFE  [April 

Saturday,  April  4,  1891. 

We  lunched  to-day  with  Ferdinand  Rothschild  to  meet 
the  Empress  Frederick.  We  were  a  small  party,  prin- 
cipally Diplomatists.  The  Deyms,  Hatzfeldt,  Soveral, 
Harry  Whites,  etc.  The  Empress  came  (punctually) 
with  Countess  Perponcher  and  Seckendorff.  The  lunch 
was  very  handsome,  quickly  served  and  very  animated, 
everybody  talked.  I  had  Hatzfeldt  on  the  other  side  (I 
sat  between  him  and  Rothschild)  so  I  was  quite  happy — 
there  is  nobody  I  like  so  much  to  talk  to.  He  is  very- 
clever,  very  entrain,  speaks  French  beautifully  and  talks 
about  anything — just  enough  "moqueur"  to  keep  one's 
wits  sharpened.  We  had  a  discussion  as  to  what  was 
the  origin  of  "Mrs.  Grundy."  None  of  us  knew.  I 
must  ask  Jusserand,  who  will  I  am  sure  be  able  to  tell  us. 

We  were  all  dressed  in  black  velvet,  one  would  have 
thought  it  was  a  "mot  d'ordre."  The  Empress  is  very 
easy  and  likes  to  talk.  She  asked  me  if  I  knew  Derou- 
lede,  said  she  heard  some  of  his  poetry  was  charming.  I 
told  her  the  "Chants  du  Soldat"  were  delightful,  but  / 
couldn't  send  them  to  her  (they  are  all  about  the  Franco- 
German  War).  One  of  the  ladies,  Mrs.  White  I  think, 
said  she  would. 

Tuesday,  April  21,  1891. 

We  had  a  pleasant  little  dinner  Sunday  night  for 
Wormser,  the  composer  of  "L'Enfant  Prodigue,"  which 
has  had  an  enormous  success  here.  Wolff  came  too,  and 
they  played  all  the  evening.  I  haven't  seen  the  piece  yet, 
so  I  was  delighted  to  hear  the  music.  I  promised  him  I 
would  go  on  Wednesday,  my  first  free  night. 

Last  night  I  went  with  Lady  Northcote  to  the  Opera; 
it  was  "Lohengrin"  with  Miss  Fames  and  the  Reszkes. 
The  girl  looked  beautiful,  quite  the  patrician  maiden, 
and  sang  very  well;  a  little  cold,  but  that  was  of  less 


1891]  "REINE  DES  FEES"  315 

importance  in  that  opera  than  in  ''Romeo  and  Juhet," 
which  needs  more  passion.  The  house  was  very  full  and 
she  was  much  applauded.  Jean  de  Reszke  looked  mag- 
nificent and  sang  divinely.  What  a  voice  it  is,  and  how 
well  he  knows  how  to  use  it.  I  fancy  Covent  Garden  is 
a  much  better  salle  to  sing  in  than  our  great  Paris  Opera. 
The  voices  seem  so  far  ofif  there,  and  all  the  singers  com- 
plain and  get  soon  tired.  W.  came  in  late  just  as  I  did. 
He  had  had  a  delightful  dinner  at  Mr.  Murray's  (the 
publisher)  with  Mr.  Gladstone.  He  said  Mr.  G.  was  in 
great  form,  talking  about  everything :  books,  politics, 
theories,  and  always  with  a  perfect  knowledge  of  each 
subject  expressed  in  beautiful  English.  He  must  have  a 
marvellous  memory. 

To  H.  L.  K, 

French  Embassy, 
June  6,  1 89 1. 

You  will  be  amused,  Dear,  to  hear  that  after  all  we 
have  decided  to  have  the  children's  comedy.  The  mo- 
ment is  not  exactly  propitious  in  the  height  of  the  Lon- 
don season  when  every  instant  is  taken,  but  I  think  we 
can  make  something  pretty,  and  Mdme.  Thenard  is  very 
keen  about  it.  We  shall  take  the  ''Reine  des  Fees" — but 
very  much  changed,  and  parts  added  for  every  child — 
also  a  gavotte  and  a  chorus.  I  saw  some  of  the  mam- 
mas, Countess  Deym;  Mdme.  de  Bille;  Ladies  London- 
derry, Clanwilliam,  etc.,  yesterday,  and  they  will  let  me 
have  their  daughters.  Thenard  will  direct  the  whole 
thing,  with  Count  de  St.  Genys  (Secretary  of  the  French 
Embassy  in  London)  as  regisseur  and  also  decorateur,  as 
he  has  begun  painting  a  charming  decor  (the  interior  of 
the  bailiff's  cottage).     Mdme.  de  Langhe  will  undertake 


3i6    LETTERS  OF  A  DIPLOMAT'S  WIFE   Qune 

the  choeurs  and  leqons  de  diction,  and  I  don't  quite  know 
yet  whom  we  shall  get  for  the  gavotte,  or  how  many 
children  we  must  have.  The  dresses  will  be  pretty — two 
sets — Marie  Antoinette  and  all  her  ladies  in  powder — 
Trianon  costumes — and  peasants,  market  women,  etc. 
Of  course  the  boys  are  a  difficulty.  There  are  so  few 
who  are  here  of  Francis's  old  friends — they  are  all  at 
school.  Thenard  has  a  little  friend  (girl)  whom  she  will 
dress  as  a  Marquis — she  says  she  will  look  the  part  very 
well.  Francis  is  much  excited — he  is  to  be  the  cruel 
bailiff  who  takes  all  the  money  and  everything  else  he 
can  get  from  the  poor  peasants.  St.  Genys  will  see 
about  his  costume,  and  make  a  croquis  from  some  picture 
of  the  period. 

June  12,  1891. 

We  are  all  (except  the  Ambassador)  perfectly  taken  up 
with  the  comedie — and  to-day  we  had  our  first  repeti- 
tion of  the  gavotte  in  the  drawing-room.  I  hadn't 
thought  of  saying  anything  about  the  dancing  to  the 
young  men,  and  it  seems  the  ''chancellerie"  went  nearly 
mad;  their  rooms  being  directly  under  the  salons,  they 
heard  everything — the  music  beginning  the  same  thing 
over  and  over  again — and  the  heavy  little  feet  that 
couldn't  stay  long  on  the  tips  of  their  toes.  I  had  some 
trouble  in  finding  a  dancing-mistress — I  thought  first  erf 
the  American  who  had  that  dancing  class  here  where  all 
the  children  went,  but  she  didn't  seem  to  understand  ex- 
actly what  I  wanted.  Finally  some  one  told  me  I  had 
much  better  send  for  Mrs.  Roffy — ballet-mistress  at  the 
Alhambra — who  has  sometimes  arranged  menuets  and 
gavottes  for  "les  femmes  du  monde";  so  I  wrote  to  her 
to  come  and  see  me.  She  knew  exactly  what  I  wanted, 
would  undertake  the  whole  thing — how  many  children — 
what  sort  of  a  dance — was  most  business-like — and  we 


i89i]  REHEARSALS  317 

fixed  the  first  repetition  at  once.  There  were  about  20 
children,  of  all  ages  and  sizes,  varying  from  3  years  to 
14 — Muriel  White,  Gay  Edwardes  and  her  brother,  a 
little  de  Breunen,  Elsa  Deichmann,  etc.  Mrs.  Rofify 
looked  very  nice.  She  is  very  tall,  but  rather  graceful — 
she  had  a  little  black  bag  in  which  were  her  black  silk 
stockings  and  pointed  slippers,  and  asked  if  she  might 
have  a  room  to  arrange  herself — so  Clarisse  took  charge 
of  her.  I  took  the  piano — and  most  distracting  it  was — 
as  no  two  of  the  children  ever  began  their  steps  at  the 
same  time.  It  was  amusing  tO'  see  Mrs.  Roffy.  She 
moved  extraordinarily  gracefully  for  such  a  tall  woman, 
and  was  so  patient — holding  up  her  dress,  pointing  her 
toes,  and  talking  to  them  all  the  time —  "Heads  up, 
Dears — Heads  up !  Look  at  me — very  proud,  please."  I 
should  have  given  up  in  despair  after  a  quarter  of  an 
hour.  All  the  little  arms  and  legs  went  at  wrong  times 
in  wrong  directions,  and  no  one  seemed  to  have  the 
slightest  idea  of  time.  She  will  give  one  or  two  private 
lessons  to  some  of  the  very  small  ones. 

Madame  de  Langhe,  too,  has  her  hands  full  with  the 
chorus,  "Vive  la  Reine" — but  I  think  she  must  have  some 
one  behind  the  scenes  to  sing  the  solo,  and  then  the 
children  will  come  out  strong  in  the  chorus.  The  roles 
are  all  distributed — Bianca  Deym — a  tall  handsome 
girl — is  to  be  Marie  Antoinette;  and  the  various  other 
Court  ladies  are  Lady  Helen  Stewart  (Lady  London- 
derry's daughter).  Lady  J.  Meade  (Lady  Clanwilliam's 
daughter).  Marguerite  Phelps,  Anna  Lawrence,  Elsa  de 
Bille,  etc.    I  think  it  will  be  pretty. 

June  15,  1891. 

Hilda  and  I  have  been  half  over  London  to-day  for 
our  stage  scenes.  We  must  have  real  ones  representing 
a  sort  of  wood  where  the  market  people  have  their 


31 8    LETTERS  OF  A  DIPLOMAT'S  WIFE   June 

stands,  and  the  Queen  and  the  ladies  come  to  buy  flow- 
ers— also  sufficient  space  for  the  gavotte.  The  man 
promises  to  send  it  all  the  day  before,  as  the  children 
must  rehearse  at  least  once  with  the  real  scenes — for  their 
entrees — that  is  always  a  little  difficulty.  The  bigger 
girls  do  all  right,  but  the  little  ones  rush  in — speak  very 
quickly — and  always  to  Thenard,  who  stands  at  one 
side — looking  hard  at  her  to  see  if  they  are  doing  right — • 
and  paying  no  attention  whatever  to  Her  Gracious  Ma- 
jesty Queen  Marie  Antoinette.  Muriel  White  is  very 
good,  very  deliberate,  very  careful,  and  taking  all  the 
French  nuances  and  intonations  very  well.  Gay  Ed- 
wardes,  too,  is  very  good — her  French  is  pretty  and  easy, 
she  learnt  it  so  young  in  Paris.  One  of  the  others  (I 
forget  which  one)  was  having  a  private  lesson  in  a  cor- 
ner with  Francis,  who  was  trying  to  make  her  roll  her 
Rs  in  a  proper  French  fashion.  She  had  a  complaint  to 
make  of  her  garden — all  about  "carottes"  et  "giroflees," 
and  the  sentences  had  a  true  British  ring.  Francis  is 
very  important,  takes  himself  quite  "au  serieux,"  and  is 
most  interested  in  the  proper  diction  of  all  the  young 
ladies.  I  sat  some  time  in  the  drawing-room  while  St. 
Genys  was  painting  his  scenes.  We  had  various  visitors 
(even  W.,  who  was  very  complimentary  over  the  decor), 
tea,  and  Thenard  to  settle  about  a  rampe  of  flowers  and 
tapestry  curtain. 

Saturday,  June  20,  1891. 
I  am  rather  lazy  this  morning  and  feel  as  if  I  had  sud- 
denly nothing  to  do.  The  comedie  went  off  very  well 
yesterday  and  was  a  pretty  sight.  Until  the  last  moment 
I  was  doubtful,  as  we  had  so  many  peripeties.  At  the 
dress  rehearsal  on  Thursday,  Bianca  Deym  (Marie  An- 
toinette) was  so  hoarse  she  could  hardly  speak.     The 


iSgi]  THE  PERFORMANCE  319 

girl  looked  very  handsome  and  distinguished  in  powder 
(tres  bien  coiffee)  and  one  of  her  mother's  handsome 
Court  dresses,  but  Thenard  wouldn't  let  her  speak 
— said  all  her  part  herself,  and  told  Bianca  to  pay 
great  attention  to  her  voice  and  gestures.  Toupet 
(Francis),  the  cruel  bailiff,  had  such  a  stiff  neck  and  sore 
throat  that  he  could  hardly  move — so  he  was  rubbed 
hard  with  Elliman's  Embrocation  and  sent  to  bed  as 
soon  as  the  repetition  was  over.  His  costume  was  very 
good — coat  and  long  waistcoat  of  prune  cloth — lace 
jabot — tricorne  and  gold-headed  cane  lent  by  one  of 
his  English  cousins — a  wig  of  course — which  quite 
changed  him.  The  girls  looked  charming — I  don't  know 
which  was  the  most  becoming — the  powder  and  Court 
dress  or  the  short  skirts  and  high  caps  of  the  paysannes. 
The  gavotte  went  very  well.  The  small  children  in 
front  and  the  bigger  ones  behind.  I  never  could  have 
believed  that  anyone  could  evolve  anything  like  a 
gavotte  from  the  whirling  chaos  of  arms  and  legs  that 
was  my  first  impression.  M.  Lecomte  (Secretary  of  the 
Embassy),  who  is  a  very  good  musician,  was  at  the  piano, 
and  marked  the  time  very  exactly,  which  was  absolutely 
necessary  for  such  young  performers. 

Various  friends  and  Mammas  came  to  look  on  and 
criticise — which  was  what  we  wanted — and  all  were 
pleased.  Thenard  and  St.  Genys  were  quite  delighted — 
and  as  they  have  seen  it  from  the  first  and  noted  the 
improvement,  that  was  reassuring.  Henry  Edwardes 
came,  much  amused  and  slightly  astonished  at  his  chil- 
dren's performance  (the  boy  was  so  good).  He  told  me 
he  considered  it  quite  remarkable.  He  offered  to  take 
charge  of  the  green-room  the  day  of  the  performance, 
and  I  accepted  with  pleasure,  as  I  am  sure  the  children 
will  be  rather  excited  and  probably  unruly. 


320    LETTERS  OF  A  DIPLOMATS  WIFE   LJunb 

I  had  a  note  from  Miss  Knollys  while  the  repetition 
was  going  on  saying  that  the  Princess  of  Wales  and  her 
two  daughters,  Princesses  Victoria  and  Maud,  would  be 
present  on  Friday  at  the  performance.  I  announced  this 
at  once  to  my  young  troupe,  and  they  were  filled  with 
pleasure  and  dismay  at  the  appalling  prospect  of  play- 
ing before  Royalties.  I  went  for  a  ride  Friday  morn- 
ing with  Pontavice  and  when  I  came  in  was  given  a  wild 
note  from  the  Countess  Deym  saying  that  Bianca 
had  a  complete  ''extinction  de  voix"  and  what  could 
be  done.  If  someone  else  could  take  the  part  (which 
was  impossible  at  such  short  notice)  she  would  send 
all  her  daughter's  dress,  which  was  very  handsome,  or 
Bianca  would  come  and  look  the  part  and  Thenard  do 
the  talking  from  the  coulisses.  Of  course  I  chose  the 
latter,  and  sent  ofif  Clarisse  at  once  to  the  Austrian  Em- 
bassy with  a  remedy  that  Mdme.  Richard  of  the  Opera 
gave  me.  Francis  was  all  right,  his  neck  quite  straight. 
After  breakfast  I  had  a  last  practice  with  him  and  Le- 
comte  for  the  gavotte.  I  got  in  a  small  piano  from  Erard 
(my  big  one  took  up  too  much  room  behind  the  scenes) 
and  then  I  dismissed  the  whole  thing  from  my  mind,  and 
went  to  dress.  I  told  the  children  to  be  there  at  4.30  so 
as  to  begin  the  minute  the  Princess  arrived.  She  said  she 
would  come  at  five. 

The  little  blue  salon  was  a  pretty  sight  when  it  was 
filled  with  all  the  children  in  costume.  Thenard's  Mar- 
quis looked  too  sweet — she  had  dressed  the  girl  so  well 
in  satin  coat,  ruf!ies,  and  silk  stockings,  and  enormous 
paste  buckles  on  her  shoes.  She  did  her  part  perfectly — 
so  easy,  and  such  pretty  French.  The  Princess  came 
punctually  with  her  two  daughters,  and  the  play  began  at 
once.  I  think  there  were  about  100  people — we  couldn't 
seat  any  more  as  the  stage   took  up  a  good  deal  of 


Violet  Freeman.  I-rancis  Waddington. 

A  Comedy  for  Children  at  the   French  Embassy. 

From  a  Photog^raph  by  Barker  &  Pragnell.  London. 


i89i]  AFTER  THE  PLAY  321 

room.  The  prettiest  scenes  were  the  Trianon  and  the 
Market  Place.  In  the  Trianon,  Marie  Antoinette  was 
seated  surrounded  by  her  ladies,  and  le  Marquis  tell- 
ing them  "les  petites  nouvelles  de  la  cour."  The  child 
was  killing  when  she  took  out  her  snuff-box  and  made 
flowery  phrases.  The  Market  was  very  well  arranged 
with  flowers  and  vegetables.  Violet  Freeman  made  a 
splendid  old  woman  at  one  stall,  and  Hilda  Deichmann 
did  her  boy's  part  very  well.  After  the  Queen  had  made 
her  round  (her  voice  came  back,  though  she  was  rather 
hoarse  still)  she  and  her  ladies  retired  a  little  to  the 
background,  where  the  Court  made  a  brilliant  group, 
while  the  peasants  sang  their  chorus,  "Vive  la  Reine." 
Then  came  the  gavotte,  which  really  went  extremely 
well.  Mrs.  Roffy  was  breathless  with  recommendations 
until  the  last  moment.  Both  chorus  and  gavotte  were 
encored,  and  there  was  much  applause  when  the  curtain 
fell. 

The  Princess,  who  is  always  so  gracious,  asked  me 
what  I  would  like  her  to  do,  so  I  said  if  she  would  allow 
the  whole  troupe  to  defile  before  her  I  would  name  each 
one — and  I  knew  it  would  give  them  great  pleasure. 
She  agreed  at  once,  so  the  procession,  headed  by  Marie 
Antoinette,  passed,  and  the  Princess  shook  hands  with 
every  one,  talking  a  little  to  those  she  knew.  They  all 
applauded  when  Toupet,  with  his  wig  and  cane,  appeared. 
Then  I  named  Mdmes.  Thenard  and  Rofify — and  I  wish 
you  could  have  seen  those  ladies'  curtseys  (Mdme.  Roflty's 
particularly  splendid),  also  St.  Genys  and  Lecomte.  The 
whole  thing  lasted  a  short  hour,  even  with  the  repeti- 
tion of  chorus  and  gavotte.  We  had  tea  in  the  draw- 
ing-room— the  children  downstairs.  The  Princess  told 
me  she  thought  it  charming — quite  wonderful.  The  only 
two  French  children  were  Francis  and  the  Marquis,  but 


322    LETTERS  OF  A  DIPLOMATS  WIFE   [June 

I  must  say  I  thought  the  others  quite  wonderful.  When 
the  Princess  went  away  all  the  children  assembled  in  the 
hall  at  the  foot  of  the  stairs,  bowing  and  curtseying — 
and  it  was  a  pretty  sight,  such  a  mass  of  colour  and 
flushed,  eager  little  faces.  The  Princess  told  them  all 
again  how  much  she  had  enjoyed  the  performance,  and 
it  was  quite  a  happy  little  crowd  that  dispersed  soon 
afterward  to  their  respective  homes.  W.  complimented 
Thenard  very  much,  who  had  given  herself  no  end  of 
trouble — also  Mdme.  de  Langhe,  who  had  undertaken 
the  chorus.  Some  of  the  ladies  were  rather  anxious  we 
should  repeat  the  performance  for  the  benefit  of  some 
charity,  but  W.  didn't  like  to  have  a  paying  thing  at 
the  Embassy;  and  at  one  of  the  public  halls  it  would  not 
have  been  very  easy — some  of  the  ladies  objected. 

I  dined  at  home,  but  went  to  a  concert  in  the  evening, 
and  had  various  compliments  for  my  troupe.  The 
Prince  of  Wales  told  me  that  the  Princess  had  told  him 
it  was  quite  charming.  I  think  on  the  whole  W.  was 
pleased.  He  was  rather  doubtful  about  inviting  the  Prin- 
cess— thought  it  was  a  little  informal,  and  would  bore 
her,  but  I  don't  think  it  did. 

Tuesday,  June  23,  1891. 

We  have  had  various  notices  in  the  French  papers  of 
the  comedie;  generally  "une  bonne  presse,"  but  one  or 
two  of  the  very  Republican  papers  expressed  great  sur- 
prise at  such  a  Royalist  Demonstration — couldn't  imagine 
why  we  had  chosen  that  particular  chorus,  "Vive  la 
Reine,"  at  an  Embassy  representing  the  French  Re- 
public ! 

I  am  sorry  you  couldn't  come  over — all  the  repetitions 
would  have  amused  you  so  much.  Nothing  was  funnier 
than  to  see  Francis  always  in  a  comer  with  some  of  the 


*89iJ  THE  GERMAN  EMPEROR  323 

girls.    Madame  Campan  (Elsa  de  Bille)  had  a  long  thing 
to  say,  and  was  most  anxious  to  have  the  correct  accent. 


To  H.  L.  K. 

London, 

July  8,  1 89 1. 

I  dined  quietly  with  some  of  the  personnel  last  night, 
and  had  Thekla  Staal,  as  her  mother  and  father  had  gone 
to  Windsor  for  the  State  banquet  for  the  German  Em- 
peror. Mdme.  de  Staal  came  in  for  a  moment  on  her  way 
home — she  said  it  was  very  handsome,  very  well  done, 
as  it  always  is  at  Windsor,  only  they  were  all  rather  un- 
comfortable, as  they  went  down  from  London  by  special 
train  in  full  dress — diamonds  and  feathers — and  when 
they  arrived  at  the  Castle  they  were  asked  to  take  off 
their  wraps  in  the  hall,  no  dressing-room  of  any  kind 
provided.  I  don't  know  what  my  erratic  hair  would  have 
looked  like.  Of  course  I  couldn't  go  on  account  of  my 
mourning. 

All  London  was  on  the  "qui  vive"  this  morning,  as  the 
German  Emperor  was  to  make  his  formal  entry  into  L<:n- 
don.  I  thought  I  wouldn't  go  in  the  carriage  and  take  up 
a  position,  so  Mrs.  Edwardes  suggested  that  I  should  go 
with  her  to  Constitution  Hill,  where  she  had  places,  and 
see  the  Emperor  pass  there;  so  we  started  off  on  foot 
quite  cheerfully,  but  as  soon  as  we  got  outside  the  Park 
and  wanted  to  cross  the  Square,  we  were  confronted  by 
lines  of  soldiers  and  policemen,  who  refused  to  let  us  pass. 
I  explained  who  I  was  and  that  I  was  merely  going  to 
cross  to  Constitution  Hill,  but  they  evidently  thought 
nothing  of  an  Ambassadress  in  a  simple  black  dress  with 
neither  equipage  nor  servants,  and  we  were  getting 
rather  discouraged  when  I  saw  a  Park-keeper  who  knew 


324    LETTERS  OF  A  DIPLOMAT'S  WIFE   [July 

me,  so  he  instantly  went  after  one  of  the  heads  of  the 
mounted  pohce,  who  appeared,  made  way  for  us  and  ac- 
companied us  (he  riding)  across  the  Square.  Some  of 
our  friends,  who  were  looking  on  from  windows  in  the 
houses  opposite,  were  rather  anxious — thought  we  had 
been  arrested.  We  waited  a  little  while  and  very  soon 
the  head  of  the  procession  appeared.  We  made  ourselves 
as  small  as  we  could  and  squeezed  close  up  to  the  gate, 
but  the  Horse  Guards  on  their  big,  black  horses  came 
unpleasantly  near  and  the  least  plunge  or  kick  would 
have  been  disastrous.  The  Royal  carriage  passed  quite 
close  to  us  at  a  quick  trot.  The  Emperor  looked  very 
wide-awake  and  soldierly  in  blue  dragoon  uniform;  the 
Empress,  tall  and  fair,  in  white,  was  seated  next  to  him ; 
the  Prince  of  Wales  and  the  Duke  of  Edinburgh  on  the 
front  seat.  There  was  not  much  enthusiasm,  a  few  hats 
(not  all)  lifted.  The  Emperor  saluted  all  the  time, 
mechanically.  When  he  saw  me  he  leaned  forward, 
smiled  and  bowed  in  evident  recognition.  I  can't  think 
how  he  knew  me,  standing  there  in  a  crowd  of  nursery- 
maids and  children.  He  had  seen  me  but  twice  before, 
and  then  in  the  evening  in  full  dress.  I  suppose  it  is  that 
extraordinary  memory,  instinct  almost,  that  all  Princes 
have,  and  which  does  them  such  good  service.  Every- 
one is  pleased  and  flattered  at  being  recognised  by  a  Roy- 
alty. I  was,  too,  just  like  all  the  rest.  I  wasn't  mistaken 
in  thinking  he  knew  me.  He  told  one  of  our  secretaries 
at  the  reception  at  the  Palace  that  he  had  seen  Mdme. 
Waddington  standing  in  the  crowd. 

Hilda  came  to  dinner  with  Countess  Eulenbourg  (wife 
of  the  Master  of  Ceremonies  of  the  German  Court)  and 
her  boy.  They  were  very  late,  as  the  Countess  had  been 
to  Buckingham  Palace  to  see  the  Empress.  She  said  the 
confusion  was  something  awful.      She  had  great  diffi- 


i89i]    RECEPTION  FOR  THE  DIPLOMATS    325 

culty  in  getting  in,  was  sent  from  pillar  to  post  and 
finally  the  carriage  was  allowed  to  enter  through  the 
stable-yard.  She  was  glad  to  have  a  quiet  evening.  Her 
husband  was  at  the  gala  performance  at  the  Opera  with 
the  Emperor  and  Empress.  She  spoke  a  great  deal 
about  the  Emperor,  said  it  was  impossible  to  be  with  him 
without  feeling  what  a  strong  personality  he  is;  that  what 
he  felt  was  right  and  best  for  Germany  he  would  certainly 
do — also  that  he  would  never  shirk  a  responsibility,  or 
put  the  blame  on  others  if  he  made  a  mistake.  It  seems 
curious  to  be  suddenly  out  of  everything.  W.  is  still  in 
France*  and  of  course  our  deep  mourning  makes  all 
Court  and  gala  things  impossible  for  us.  I  think  W. 
must  come  back  before  the  Emperor  goes  and  try  to  see 
him  in  a  private  audience,  if  nothing  else  can  be  arranged. 

Thursday,  9th. 

All  the  Corps  Diplomatique  were  received  this  morn- 
ing at  Buckingham  Palace — the  men  by  the  Emperor, 
the  women  by  the  Empress.  Hatzfeldt  presented  the 
men.  In  W.'s  absence,  d'Estournelles  represented  the 
Embassy  (with  all  the  secretaries  of  course).  As  he  was 
only  Charge  d'Affaires,  he  could  not  take  W.*s  place  as 
Doyen  at  the  head  of  the  row — on  the  contrary,  was 
quite  at  the  end;  after  all  the  Ministers  of  the  small 
Powers — however  they  made  a  little  group  apart.  The 
Emperor  talked  a  little  while  to  d'Estournelles — re- 
gretted very  much  not  seeing  W. — knew  that  he  was  still 
in  France,  and  told  him  to  tell  me  that  he  had  recognised 
me  at  once  in  the  Park.  He  said  a  few  words  to  each 
member  of  the  Embassy.  The  ladies  were  presented  by 
Mdme.  de  Staal — my  young  women  told  me  she  did  it 
very  well,  passing  down  the  line  with  the  Empress  and 

•  Where  he  had  been  summoned  on  account  of  the  death  of  his  mother. 


326    LETTERS  OF  A  DIPLOMAT'S  WIFE    Uuly 

naming  every  one.  They  also  found  the  Empress  very 
gracious,  saying  something  to  each  one — of  course  there 
Is  never  any  real  conversation  on  such  occasions,  people 
are  usually  in  a  hurry  and  anxious  to  get  through  their 
function. 

This  afternoon  was  the  garden  party  at  Marlborough 
House — Mdme.  d'Estournelles  and  Florian  came  in  af- 
terward to  tell  me  about  it;  also  Mme.  de  Bille  (wife 
of  the  Danish  Minister),  she  is  an  American,  nee  Za- 
briskie.  They  said  there  was  a  great  crowd,  and  such  a 
hedge  of  loyal  subjects  around  the  Royalties  that  it  was 
almost  impossible  to  see  them  even.  Princess  of  Monaco 
(nee  Heine),  who  was  with  the  Court  (her  husband 
being  a  "prince  regnant,"  of  a  minute  principality  cer- 
tainly), made  a  sign  to  Countess  de  Florian  to  come  and 
speak  to  her,  and  she  also  had  quite  a  talk  with  Princess 
Amelie  of  Schleswig  Holstein,  cousin  of  the  German 
Emperor,  whom  she  had  known  as  a  girl  in  Pau,  when 
her  father,  Marquis  de  Nadaillac,  was  Prefet  there. 
Staal  came  in  late,  and  hopes  that  W.  will  come  back 
(he  is  always  such  a  good  colleague).  He  thinks  it  will 
make  a  bad  effect,  the  French  Ambassador  being  the 
only  one  absent.  He  thinks  he  ought  to  come  over 
for  the  breakfast  at  the  Mansion  House,  which  is  strictly 
official,  and  where  the  Emperor  will  probably  make  a 
speech.  I  will  write  to  him  to-night  and  tell  him  what 
they  all  say. 

Friday,  July  loth. 

I  rode  this  morning  with  Pontavice,  the  Military  At- 
tache, and  just  missed  the  Emperor,  who  was  riding  with 
six  or  seven  officers,  all  in  uniform,  which  seems  strange, 
as  the  offixers  ncA^er  wear  uniform  except  when  they  are 
on  duty.    We  sometimes  see  the  officer  of  the  day  riding 


1891]  FETES  FOR  WILLIAM   II  327 

in  the  Row  in  uniform,  but  never  any  other.  In  Paris  it 
is  quite  different;  all  the  officers  of  the  Paris  garrison, 
which  is  a  very  large  one,  always  ride  in  uniform  in  the 
Bois  in  the  morning.  I  went  to  the  War  Office  after- 
ward to  see  the  Emperor,  Empress,  and  Prince  and 
Princess  pass  on  their  way  to  the  Lord  Mayor's  banquet. 
The  display  of  troops  was  rather  mesquin — the  Grena- 
diers standing  so  far  apart  that  there  were  groups  of 
street  boys  in  between.  The  Royalties  were  fairly  ap- 
plauded (the  Prince  and  Princess  are  always  whenever 
they  appear).  The  Emperor  was  in  a  white  uniform, 
but  his  helmet  is  so  big  and  heavy  and  so  low  on  his  face 
that  one  could  hardly  see  him.  Francis  and  I  dined 
quietly  at  the  Russian  Embassy,  and  the  Staals  told  us 
all  about  the  various  fetes.  They  said  the  getting  away 
from  the  Mansion  House  was  awful — when  the  gentle- 
men of  the  household  were  trying  to  make  a  passage  for 
the  Princess  of  Wales  there  was  a  general  skirmish,  one 
of  the  ladies  of  the  Corps  Diplomatique  was  struck  on 
the  shoulder  by  one  of  the  gentlemen,  and  there  was  a 
fine  row — the  husband  of  the  lady  furious,  the  unfort- 
unate equerry  protesting,  saying  he  was  incapable  of 
such  an  enormity,  etc  However,  excuses  were  made 
and  peace  restored. 

Saturday,  July  nth. 

I  rode  this  morning  with  Pontavice,  and  we  met  the 
Emperor,  also  riding,  several  times;  but  he  did  not  recog- 
nise me  this  time  in  my  habit.  He  had  six  or  seven  offi- 
cers with  him  and  two  grooms.  All  the  officers,  the 
Emperor  also,  in  uniform,  and  wearing  those  long  Ger- 
man sabres  that  hang  loose  and  make  a  great  clatter. 
They  all  rode  at  a  gallop  and  set  all  the  horses  in  the  Row 
by  the  ears.    I  really  had  some  trouble  with  my  quiet  ani- 


328    LETTERS  OF  A  DIPLOMAT'S  WIFE    Qui.^ 

mal,  who  was  jumping  and  kicking  all  over  the  place.  I 
had  several  visits  at  tea-time.  My  windows  and  bal- 
conies giving  on  the  Park  are  most  attractive,  as  there 
are  quantities  of  people  about — a  sort  of  general  excite- 
ment in  the  air,  and  royal  carriages  and  soldiers  passing 
all  the  time.  D'Estournelles  came  in  and  told  me  about 
the  review.  He  said  the  troops  looked  splendid,  but  the 
arrangements  were  very  bad — no  seats  reserved — he  and 
his  wife  and  many  ladies  standing  all  the  time.  Mme. 
d'Estournelles  was  dead  tired  and  had  gone  home  to  bed. 
W.  came  back  for  dinner;  he  looks  grave  and  sad.  We 
sat  on  the  balcony  after  dinner  while  he  smoked.  He 
said  he  must  go  to  the  luncheon  at  Hatfield  for  the  Em- 
peror and  Empress,  As  long  as  he  was  Ambassador,  he 
had  no  right  to  let  any  private  grief  prevent  his  taking 
part  in  a  public  function,  particularly  in  this  case,  when 
his  absence  might  be  misconstrued. 

Sunday,  July  i8th. 
I  went  this  afternoon  to  consult  some  of  my  colleagues 
about  my  dress  for  Hatfield.  Of  course  I  am  in  deep 
mourning,  and  I  didn't  know  if  I  could  meet  Royalties  in 
black.  At  some  Courts,  Russia  for  instance,  black  is  not 
allowed — when  people  are  in  mourning  they  wear  white. 
After  various  consultations,  I  decided  that  I  would  go  in 
my  black  dress;  so  I  have  had  some  lace  put  on  top  of 
the  flounce  of  "crepon  de  laine,"  which  is  really  very  deep 
mourning. 

To  H.  L.  K. 

Tuesday,  July  19,  1891. 
We  had  a  most  interesting  day  at  Hatfield,  and  evi- 
dently we  were  right  in  going.     We  went  down  by  a 
special,  W.  in  deep  mourning,  I  in  my  black  crepon,  my 
big  pearls  in  my  ears  and  around  my  neck,  a  little  crepe 


iSgi]  THE  EMPEROR  AT  HATFIELD         329 

bonnet  (with  a  soupgon  of  jet)  and  an  ordinary  dotted 
tulle  veil.  All  our  colleagues  were  most  empresses  and 
nice — said  it  had  been  so  strange  not  to  see  either  of  us 
at  any  of  the  fetes.  There  were,  as  usual,  a  certain  num- 
ber of  young  men,  sons  of  the  house,  secretaries,  etc.,  at 
the  station  at  Hatfield ;  plenty  of  carriages,  and  in  a  few 
minutes  we  were  at  the  house.  We  passed  straight 
through  the  rooms  to  the  terrace,  where  a  very  smart 
company  was  assembled.  Some  of  the  young  women  in 
white  satin  and  lace,  high  bodices  of  course,  all  very 
much  dressed,  and  all  with  necklaces  and  jewels  on  their 
corsages.  No  one  in  particular  received  us.  Lady  Salis- 
bury was  driving  with  the  Empress,  Lord  Salisbury  talk- 
ing with  the  Prince  of  Wales,  and  the  Emperor  riding. 
(The  Salisbury s  had  an  enormous  house  party,  all  ar- 
rived the  night  before  for  dinner — the  Emperor  and  Em- 
press with  their  suite,  also  the  Prince  and  Princess  and 
theirs.)  I  was  strolling  about  the  terrace  with  Countess 
Deym  when  we  came  suddenly  upon  the  Princess  of 
Wales,  walking  about  with  her  "Kodak"  and  looking 
about  25  in  her  simple  grey  foulard  and  big  black  hat. 
As  we  went  up  to  speak  to  her,  she  made  us  a  sign  to 
stop,  saying  "I  want  you  in  my  picture."  We  talked  to 
her  a  little  while  and  then  she  said  she  must  go  and  make 
herself  "smart"  for  the  lunch-party.  There  was  still 
some  time  before  there  was  any  sign  of  Princes — or 
lunch.  Mr.  Barrington  asked  us  to  stand  near  the  per- 
ron, as  he  had  charge  of  the  placing  of  the  people.  The 
Emperor  and  Empress  appeared  first,  and  immediately 
made  a  sort  of  cercle.  Lady  Salisbury  presented  me  at 
once  to  the  Empress,  and  she  was  most  amiable,  regretted 
not  having  seen  me  at  the  reception  at  Buckingham  Pal- 
ace, adding,  "J'ai  vu  toutes  vos  jeunes  femmes,  plus  jolies 
les  unes  que  les  autres."    The  Emperor,  too,  was  easy  and 


330    LETTERS   OF  A   DIPLOMAT'S  WIFE    [July 

pleasant,  but  so  many  people  were  brought  up  to  him  all 
the  time  that  he  couldn't  talk  much.  It  was  interesting 
to  watch  him.  He  was  of  course  tJie  central  figure,  and 
there  is  always  a  certain  curiosity  as  to  what  he  will  do. 
He  holds  himself  very  straight,  has  a  stern  face  and 
rather  a  stiff  manner,  not  particularly  gracious,  speaks 
English  of  course  perfectly  well  (in  fact  looks  like  an 
Englishman,  particularly  in  ordinary  dress — of  course 
the  uniform  changes  him  a  little).  I  think  he  knew  about 
everybody  who  was  presented  to  him;  soldiers,  states- 
men, artists,  and  seemed  to  be  interested  in  the  very  short 
talks  he  had  with  each  one.  He  and  W.  had  quite  a  talk, 
and  he  again  expressed  his  regret  at  not  having  seen  him 
before,  and  also  for  the  cause  which  had  kept  him  away. 
The  Prince  and  Princess  stood  about  on  the  terrace  while 
all  the  presentations  were  going  on,  talking  to  their 
friends.  After  about  half  an  hour  there  was  a  move  to 
the  great  dining-hall.  I  think  there  were  about  150 
guests.  The  Royalties  and  swells  lunched  in  the  great 
hall  at  small  tables  of  ten,  and  the  others  in  the  ordinary 
dining-room.  I  was  at  Lord  Salisbury's  table,  who  took 
in  the  Empress;  the  Prince  took  me;  Hatzfeldt  (German 
Ambassador)  Mdme.  de  Staal;  Rustem  (Turkish  Am- 
bassador) Princess  Maud;  Soveral  (Portuguese  Minis- 
ter) Countess  Spencer.  At  Lady  Salisbury's  table  were 
the  Emperor,  Princess,  Staal,  W.,  etc.  The  talk  was 
fairly  easy  at  our  table — Hatzfeldt  said  to  me  rather 
pointedly,  "J^  suis  tres  heureux  de  vous  voir  ici  aujourd'- 
hui,  Madame  Waddington."  The  Prince  also  said  we 
were  quite  right  to  come.  I  said  I  thought  my  plam 
black  dress  was  rather  out  of  place  at  such  a  brilliant 
entertainment,  but  he  assured  me  it  was  quite  correct. 
About  half  way  through  luncheon  came  the  pearl  neck- 
lace incident  (which  you  saw  in  the  papers).    I  suddenly 


i«9i]  AN  INCIDENT  331 

felt  that  my  necklace  was  unclasped.  It  was  sewed  on 
the  corsage  in  front,  as  the  pearls  are  large  and  heavy, 
and  I  am  always  afraid  of  breaking  the  string.  I  asked 
Soveral,  who  was  next  to  me,  if  he  couldn't  clasp  it  for 
me.  He  tried,  but  was  nervous  or  awkward ;  at  any  rate 
couldn't  manage  it,  and  we  were  both  getting  red  and 
flustered  when  suddenly  we  heard  the  Emperor  from  his 
table  calling  W.'s  attention  to  the  fact  that  "le  Portugal 
etait  en  train  d'etrangler  la  France";  also  Staal,  saying 
that  his  "Collegue  du  Portugal  se  livrait  a  une  gymnas- 
tique  etrange."  They  all  made  various  jokes  at  my  ex- 
pense, and  the  Prince  said  "Let  me  do  it,"  but  he  couldn't 
either,  and  again  we  heard  the  Emperor  remarking, 
*'Maintenant  c'est  plus  serieux — I'Angleterre  s'en  mele." 
W.,  who  had  his  back  to  me  and  who  couldn't  see  what 
was  going  on,  w^as  decidedly  mystified,  and  wondered 
what  on  earth  I  was  doing  to  attract  so  much  attention, 
in  fact  was  rather  annoyed.  When  we  got  up  from  table 
the  Prince  and  I  retreated  to  a  corner  of  the  terrace,  and 
he  cut  the  stitches  that  held  the  necklace  in  front  with  his 
knife  (which  again  looked  funny  to  the  people  assembled 
on  the  terrace).  He  advised  me  to  put  the  pearls,  not  in 
my  pocket,  but  in  a  safe  place,  as  they  were  very  hand- 
some, so  I  put  them  inside  my  dress.  Of  course  every- 
body asked  me  what  had  happened,  and  what  the  Emper- 
or was  saying  to  me  from  the  other  table.  I  asked  the 
Empress  if  she  was  never  afraid  of  losing  her  pearls,  but 
she  said  all  her  jewels  were  most  carefully  sewn  on  and 
strung  on  a  very  thick  string  or  sort  of  silk  cord. 

Very  soon  after  lunch  the  Emperor  and  Empress  left, 
as  they  were  starting  in  the  evening  for  Germany,  and 
had  to  go  to  Windsor  to  take  leave  of  the  Queen.  The 
Prince  and  Princess  followed  quickly,  and  then,  of  course, 
all  of  us.    W.  had  again  a  talk  with  the  Emperor,  and  all 


332    LETTERS  OF  A  DIPLOMAT'S  WIFE    Qan 

his  colleagues  told  him  he  was  quite  right  to  come.  Any 
little  incident  between  France  and  Germany  always  as- 
sumes gigantic  proportions,  and  the  papers,  both  French 
and  German,  would  have  been  full  of  the  marked  ab- 
sence of  the  French  Ambassador  from  all  the  fetes  for 
the  Emperor ;  his  mourning  a  pretext,  etc.  It  was  a  beau- 
tiful entertainment — bright,  perfect  summer  day,  quan- 
tities of  pretty  women  beautifully  dressed  (a  great  many 
in  white)  and  representative  people  of  all  kinds.  The 
general  impression  was  that  the  Emperor  was  not  a 
lady's  man — he  evidently  preferred  talking  to  army  and 
political  men.  My  talk  with  him  was  so  perfectly  banal 
that  I  can  scarcely  have  an  opinion,  but  I  should  think 
one  might  talk  to  him  easily.  His  face  is  certainly  stern, 
and  the  manner  very  cold,  but  his  smile,  like  the  Queen's, 
lights  up  and  softens  the  face.  I  said  to  one  of  the 
pretty  young  women  who  had  made  a  luncheon-party  for 
him,  that  I  had  heard  that  it  was  beautifully  done,  and 
that  he  was  much  pleased.  She  said  she  hoped  he  was, 
that  as  far  as  she  personally  was  concerned  he  hadn't  the 
slightest  idea  whether  she  was  25  or  50. 


To  H,  L.  K. 

London, 
January  12,  1892. 

W.  and  I  came  over  yesterday  in  a  snowstorm. 
It  was  beastly  getting  out  of  the  train  and  on  the 
boat  at  Calais.  I  am  rather  depressed,  having  left  Fran- 
cis behind  at  a  professor's  near  the  Lycee  Janson,  to 
follow  the  cours  there  as  externe.  I  shall  miss  him 
frightfully,  but  it  was  quite  time  for  him  to  go  to  France 
and  go  through  the  regular  course.  He  was  forgetting 
his  French  here.     Of  course  he  and  his  father  always 


1892]  THE  DUKE  OF  CLARENCE  333 

speak  French  to  each  other,  but  he  went  to  a  httle  Eng- 
hsh  school,  Miss  Quirim's,  in  Sloane  Street  (where 
there  were  quantities  of  httle  friends  beginning  their  edu- 
cation), played  all  day  with  English  children,  heard 
nothing  else  spoken  around  him,  and  was  rapidly  becom- 
ing an  Englishman.  The  house  seems  dreadfully  quiet 
without  him,  and  poor  little  Bonny,  the  fox-terrier,  is 
miserable.  He  couldn't  think  why  he  wasn't  with  us  to- 
day on  our  journey  and  galloped  up  to  his  room  as  soon 
as  he  arrived  at  the  Embassy,  asking  everybody  really 
with  his  eyes  where  his  master  was.  Florian  came  in  at 
once  to  see  us,  and  told  us  that  the  Duke  of  Clarence  was 
frightfully  ill  at  Sandringham.  He  always  looked  rather 
delicate,  tall  and  slight  and  colourless,  but  I  hope  his 
youth  will  pull  him  through.  He  had  been  rather  more 
en  evidence  these  last  months  since  his  engagement  to 
Princess  May,  daughter  of  Princess  Mary,  Duchess  of 
Teck.  I  think  it  is  a  marriage  that  pleases  the  nation. 
Princess  May  is  young  and  pretty,  with  a  pretty  figure 
and  essentially  English — born  and  brought  up  in  the 
country.  Everybody  adores  her  mother,  Princess  Mary, 
and  I  think  it  will  be  a  very  happy  marriage. 


January  13,  1892. 
I  am  afraid  there  is  no  chance  for  the  poor  young 
Prince.  Florian  came  in  for  a  moment,  just  back  from 
Marlborough  Plouse,  where  the  bulletins  are  posted  twice 
a  day.  There  were  crowds  of  people  reading  them  and 
trying  to  get  some  detailed  information.  Florian  saw 
one  of  the  equerries,  who  told  him  there  was  no  hope,  he 
was  sinking  fast  and  would  probably  not  live  through 
the  night.  He  told  him  the  Princess  never  left  him  and 
was  heart-broken,  her  eldest  boy.     It  is  hard  for  her. 


334    LETTERS   OF  A  DIPLOMAT'S  WIFE    [Jan. 

They  seem  to  think  it  was  a  neglected  cold,  caught  out 
shooting,  and  not  taken  in  time.  All  the  personnel  came 
in  to  see  me  and  brought  their  New  Year's  present — 4 
pretty  corbeilles  for  bonbons.  They  always  give  me 
something  New  Year's  Day  and  I  am  much  pleased  to 
have  the  souvenirs.  I  can  hardly  realise  that  we  have 
been  here  nearly  9  years.  We  came  in  '83  and  thought 
we  should  stay  perhaps  two  years.  I  am  so  accustomed 
to  the  life  now  that  I  feel  as  if  I  had  always  spent  half 
the  year  in  England  and  the  other  half  in  France.  I  sup- 
pose I  shall  miss  a  great  many  things  when  we  retire  into 
private  life,  perhaps  most  of  all  the  family  life  with  all 
the  personnel  of  the  Embassy.  We  have  had  various 
changes,  of  course,  but  I  generally  pull  well  with  them 
all,  and  I  must  say  they  are  always  ready  to  help  me  in 
every  way.  I  haven't  had  too  many  women,  which  is 
pleasant ;  women  are  much  more  complicated  to  deal  with 
than  men — there  are  always  so  many  small  jealousies 
and  rivalries. 

Thursday,  January  14,  1892. 
The  poor  young  Duke  is  dead  at  9  o'clock  this  morn- 
ing, in  spite  of  all  that  tender  nursing  and  skill  could  do. 
He  had  not  strength  to  fight  against  the  malady.  It  is 
awfully  hard  at  his  age  and  in  his  position;  just  now, 
too,  when  his  marriage  was  so  popular.  Florian  came 
at  once  to  tell  us,  and  said  there  was  such  a  crowd  outside 
Marlborough  House  that  he  could  hardly  get  through 
into  the  court,  where  the  policeman  showed  him  the 
Prince  of  Wales's  telegram,  *'A11  is  over."  We  had 
various  visits  at  tea-time ;  Deym  among  others,  who  had 
done  just  what  we  did — sent  telegrams  to  the  Prince 
and  Princess  and  the  Tecks  at  Sandringham.  He  told 
me  he  had  dined  at  White  Lodge  with  the  Tecks  on 


18921  FUNERAL  SERVICES  335 

Christmas  Eve  (for  their  Christmas  tree)  and  that  they 
were  all  so  happy.  Princess  Mary  took  him  upstairs  and 
showed  him  all  the  presents — coupons  of  velvet,  brocade, 
etc.,  for  dresses,  also  the  wedding  dress,  and  said  to  him, 
"Je  suis  si  heureuse  que  j'en  ai  peur.''  Poor  thing;  per- 
haps it  was  a  presentiment.  I  am  awfully  sorry  for  them, 
for  her  perhaps  more  than  for  Princess  May,  who  is 
young  and  must  of  course  get  over  it,  as  youth  happily 
is  elastic  and  rebounds ;  but  Princess  Mary  is  different. 
She  has  her  share  of  worries  and  disappointments,  and 
she  was  so  happy  and  proud  of  the  marriage.  It  must 
be  an  awful  blow  to  her. 

Sunday,  January  19,  1892. 
I  went  to  the  little  church  behind  the  Embassy  this 
morning  and  am  very  sorry  now  that  I  didn't  go  to  St. 
Paul's,  where  there  was  a  fine  service — the  organ  playing 
the  Dead  March  in  Saul,  and  all  the  congregation 
standing,  a  good  many  women  crying,  all  in  black. 
It  was  impressive  in  the  little  church — everyone  in  black. 
There  is  a  general  mourning  ordered  for  three  weeks, 
and  Court  mourning  for  six  (which  is  a  shorter  time 
than  I  thought).  (I  send  on  a  sheet  apart  what  I  would 
like  you  to  order  for  me.  I  have  nothing  black  but  my 
black  satin  evening  dress,  which  fortunately  is  all  black, 
no  white,  lace,  or  colour).  They  sang  the  funeral  hymn 
"Labourer,  thy  work  is  o'er,"  the  first  time  I  had  ever 
heard  it,  and  beautiful  it  was;  read  the  prayer  for  the 
"Royal  Family  in  affliction,"  and  one  for  the  influenza — 
which  surprised  me,  as  I  should  not  have  thought  the 
epidemic  was  bad  enough  for  that.  The  sermon,  of 
course,  was  all  about  Prince  Eddie  and  the  young  life 
cut  short.  It  was  very  simple  and  earnest  and  the  con- 
gregation certainly  felt  and  showed  great  sympathy.     I 


336    LETTERS  OF  A  DIPLOMAT'S  WIFE    [Jan. 

went  for  a  short  turn  in  the  Park  afterward  and  w^alked 
about  a  little  with  Henry  Edwardes  and  his  children. 
He  is  rather  down,  poor  fellow,  as  his  conge  drags  on 
and  they  seem  in  no  hurry  at  the  Foreign  Office  to  give 
him  another  post.  I  believe  he  didn't  get  on  very  well 
with  his  last  chief,  and  of  course  all  chiefs  are  not  com- 
modes, but  equally  of  course  when  there  comes  a  ques= 
tion  the  secretary  is  ahvays  in  the  wrong.  Edwardes  is 
very  clever  and  cultivated.  W.  thinks  him  an  excellent 
agent.  In  Paris  he  alw^ays  knew  what  was  going  on, 
and  knew^  so  many  people  of  all  kinds. 

This  afternoon  I  had  my  usual  Sunday  visits — princi- 
pally diplomatists  this  time,  and  all  talking  about  Prince 
Eddie's  funeral.  It  seems  a  pity  they  don't  make  a  grand 
military  funeral,  the  procession  passing  through  London. 
There  was  such  a  striking  outburst  of  sympathy  and 
loyalty  when  his  death  was  announced  that  the  people 
would  have  been  glad  to  associate  themselves  with  the 
last  rites.  They  don't  invite  all  the  Chefs  de  Mission  to 
the  funeral  at  Windsor  (which  also  seems  strange.  Prince 
Eddie  being  the  heir),  merely  those  of  the  "Cours  ap- 
parentees."  That  will  take  In  Hatzfeldt,  German  Am- 
bassador; Staal,  Russian;  de  Bille,  Danish  Minister; 
Gennadius,  Greece;  Several,  Portugese;  and  Solvyns, 
Belgian.  All  the  others  go  to  a  special  service  at  St. 
James's  Chapel,  in  uniform. 

Wednesday,  January  20,  1892. 

To-day  is  the  funeral.  Our  fiag  is  half-mast,  and  all 
the  windows  shut  in  the  drawing-rooms.  It  is  mild 
and  damp,  but  not  cold.  Mdme.  de  Florian  and  I  have 
been  driving  about  this  afternoon  to  have  an  impres- 
sion of  the  streets.  All  the  shops  are  shut,  blinds  down 
in  all  the  houses,   flags  at  half-mast,  and  everyone  in 


1892]  DAYS  OF  MOURNING  337 

black.  Some  of  the  hansom  cab  drivers  with  bits  of 
black  ribbon  or  stuff  on  their  whips,  and  everybody  looks 
grave.  I  can't  help  thinking  it  was  a  pity  not  to  let  the 
people  participate  in  the  mourning  and  feel  they  were 
taking  some  part.  In  these  days  of  democracy  one 
should  take  any  chance  of  strengthening  the  feeling  of 
loyalty.  W.  went  off  in  uniform,  with  crepe  on  sleeve 
and  sword  hilt,  at  3,  to  the  service  at  the  Chapel  Royal, 
St.  James's,  which  seems  to  have  been  rather  mild.  The 
diplomatists  (4  Ambassadors),  Chefs  de  Mission,  were 
received  by  Mr.  Eric  Barrington,  Lord  Salisbury's  secre- 
tary; Mr.  Thomas  Sanderson,  and  Colonel  Chaine. 

W.  dined  in  the  evening  with  Hilda,  to  meet  Count 
Seckendorff  and  Biilow,  who  had  come  over  from  Ger- 
many to  the  funeral.  They  said  the  service  was  very 
simple  and  impressive,  and  that  the  Prince  of  Wales  and 
Prince  George  looked  badly,  the  Prince  of  Wales  much 
agitated.  Seckendorff  said  he  could  just  manage  to  speak 
to  them  when  they  all  filed  past  him  after  the  ceremony. 
The  Princesses  were  all  in  the  chapel  in  a  sort  of  gallery. 
Quite  at  the  end  the  Prince  stepped  forward  and  laid  a 
white  wreath  (given  by  Princess  May)  on  the  coffin. 

Saturday,  January  30,  1892. 
It  is  still  very  mild  and  damp,  rather  dismal  weather, 
and  the  streets  are  depressing,  everyone  in  black — the 
mourning  is  very  general,  not  at  all  confined  to  the  fash- 
ionable world.  Mdme.  de  Florian  and  I  drove  out  to 
White  Lodge,  and  cheerless  it  looked,  so  lonely  and  sad 
with  the  black  winter  trees  all  around  the  house.  We 
did  not  see  either  of  the  Princesses ;  they  were  in  London, 
but  Teck  came  out  to  speak  to  us.  I  never  saw  him  ap- 
pear so  well — he  was  so  simple  and  distressed  for  his 
daughter.     He   said   she  was  very  quiet,  but  perfectly 


33«    LETTERS   OF  A  DIPLOMAT'S  WIFE    [Feb. 

heart-broken,  and  that  he  had  always  had  a  presentiment 
that  something  would  happen — everything  had  gone  too 
smoothly.  He  said  the  coming  back  there  after  the 
funeral  was  something  too  awful — all  the  wedding  pres- 
ents and  stuffs  and  laces  scattered  about  the  rooms — let- 
ters and  telegrams  of  congratulation,  bouquets  of  white 
flowers,  in  fact  all  the  preparations  for  a  wedding;  and 
at  the  same  time  people  waiting  to  try  on  mourning — 
telegrams  of  condolence,  etc.  What  a  tragedy !  He  said 
he  had  no  hope  from  the  first.  Prince  Eddie  w^as  struck 
down  at  once,  and  he  didn't  think  the  Princess  of  Wales 
ever  had  a  gleam  of  hope.  She  never  left  her  boy  until 
all  was  over. 

To  G.  K.  S. 

Wednesday,  February  lo,  1892. 
I  went  as  usual  to  have  tea  with  the  Countess  de 
Bylandt  this  afternoon,  who  receives  always  Wednesday. 
She  always  has  plenty  of  people  and  one  has  a  pleasant 
hour.  She  was  worried  about  her  husband  to-day,  who  is 
ill.  He  is  not  very  young  and  I  should  think  has  always 
been  delicate.  He  is  Dutch  Minister,  and  has  been  here 
for  years.  She  is  a  Russian  born,  very  clever  and  amusing. 
We  dined  with  Baron  Gevers,  Dutch  Secretary,  at  the 
new  restaurant  or  club,  I'Amphytrion,  which  is  supposed 
to  be  the  best  and  dearest  in  London.  It  is  kept  by  Emile, 
a  well-known  Parisian.  We  were  a  yottng  party,  the 
Florians,  St.  Genys,  and  the  Lataings  (Belgian  Lega- 
tion). The  dinner  was  excellent,  certainly — Emile  knew 
that  his  Ambassador  was  coming  and  had  done  his  best. 
He  was  always  hovering  about  the  table  to  see  that  all 
was  right,  and  we  complimented  him  very  much  on  the 
way  everything  was  cooked  and  served.     I  said  to  him 


1892]  IN  THE  BRITISH   MUSEUM  339 

that  he  had  very  good  material  In  London  to  work  upon, 
to  which  he  rephed,  with  magnificent  contempt  for  any- 
thing that  was  not  French — 'Tl  n'y  a  pas  de  marche  a 
Londres,  je  fais  venir  tout  de  Paris."  When  one  thinks 
of  Covent  Garden,  with  its  piles  of  splendid  salmon, 
haunches  of  venison,  hot-house  fruits,  grapes,  pine- 
apples, and  primeurs  of  all  kinds,  the  answer  was  amus- 
ing. We  went  upstairs  for  coffee  and  cigarettes  and  had 
a  very  pleasant  evening.  It  is  so  good  for  W.  to  be 
with  young  people  occasionally.  He  talked  a  great  deal, 
and  the  young  men  were  interested  In  some  of  his  Cam- 
bridge reminiscences. 

Thursday,  February  11,  1892. 

It  is  still  quite  mild.  After  breakfast  I  went  with 
Hilda  to  the  British  Museum  to  hear  a  young  Oxonian 
lady  lecture  on  Greek  Antiquities  and  the  Eleusinian 
Mysteries.  She  did  it  very  easily — a  pretty,  cultivated 
voice  and  very  distinct  pronunciation.  The  lecture  lasted 
about  an  hour.  She  had  all  sorts  of  photographs  of  bas- 
reliefs,  statues,  paintings,  etc.,  and  it  was  very  interest- 
ing, much  more  so  than  I  expected,  as  Greek  antiquities 
are  not  much  in  my  line.  After  the  lecture  was  over, 
Mr.  Thomson,  the  director  of  the  Museum  (a  charming 
man),  came  to  get  us  and  showed  us  as  much  as  we 
could  see  before  4,  when  it  gets  dark  and  the  Museum  is 
shut.  The  reading-room  and  library  are  enormous,  and 
for  London  very  light.  The  collection  of  missals,  auto- 
graphs, etc.,  is  splendid.  Some  of  the  old,  old  missals 
so  beautiful  still,  the  colours  so  wonderfully  preserved. 
We  went  to  Mr.  Thomson's  room  in  the  Museum  build- 
ing for  tea.  His  daughter  was  there  and  gave  us  very 
good  tea  and  muffins.  Altogether  we  had  a  most  interest- 
ing afternoon.   We  dined  with  Mrs.  Mitford  (widow  of 


340    LETTERS  OF  A  DIPLOMAT'S  WIFE    [Feb 

Percy  Mitford,  diplomatist).  She  has  a  very  pretty  and 
original  house  and  is  a  very  easy  hostess,  having  lived 
much  abroad.  She  is  a  great  friend  of  Princess  Mary  and 
told  me  I  ought  to  go  and  see  her.  Mr.  Lincoln,  the 
American  Minister,  was  there,  and  we  all  teased  him 
about  the  Presidential  election  (the  papers  say  he  is  to  be 
the  next  President).  Mdme.  de  Bille  and  I  told  him  we 
were  racking  our  brains  to  think  what  we  could  ask  him 
for  our  friends  at  home  when  he  would  be  at  the  White 
House.  He  assured  us  there  was  no  possible  chance  of 
it,  and  no  one  would  be  as  sorry  as  he  himself  if  ever  the 
thing  came  to  pass.  It  certainly  would  be  difficult  to  be 
a  second  President  Lincoln. 

Friday,  February  19,  1892. 
It  IS  still  very  cold,  snow  lying  on  the  ground  (in 
the  parks),  which  is  rare  in  London.  I  have  just  had 
a  little  note  from  Princess  Mary,  asking  me  to  come  and 
see  her  on  Sunday  at  White  Lodge,  as  she  leaves  early 
in  the  week  for  the  Riviera.  Wolff  came  in  late  to  ask 
me  if  I  would  take  him  out  to  White  Lodge,  as  Princess 
Mary  had  also  written  to  him  to  come.  He  had  his  vio- 
lin, so  he  played  for  about  an  hour,  and  most  enchanting 
it  was.  I  occasionally  forgot  about  the  accompaniment, 
listening  to  his  beautiful  long  notes.  He  didn't  mind, 
was  standing  in  the  middle  of  the  room  (playing  by 
heart)  and  went  on  quite  serenely  until  I  caught  him  up 
somewhere  and  went  on  again.  I  dined  quietly  with 
Jean  (as  W.  had  a  man's  dinner  at  one  of  the  clubs) 
and  we  made  music  all  the  evening.  She  is  very  busy 
translating  a  German  book,  Lady  Blennerhasset's  "Life 
of  Madame  de  Stael."  It  looked  easy  at  first,  but  I  fancy 
is  rather  a  formidable  undertaking,  as  Lady  B.  has  a  very 
distinct  style — very  German,  and  I  should  think  it  must 


1892]  A  VISIT  TO  WHITE  LODGE  341 

lose  in  translation.  She  had  rather  come  to  grief  over 
one  page.  I  looked  over  it,  and  said  I  didn't  find  it  very 
difficult,  and  I  know  German  well,  upon  which  she  re- 
plied, ''Please  read  it  out  to  me,  then,  in  good  English." 
I  began,  but  came  to  grief  at  once.  I  had  got  the  mean- 
ing right  enough  in  miy  head,  but  couldn't  at  all  express 
it  at  once  in  correct  or  fluent  English,  and  I  don't  know 
that  a  dictionary  would  have  helped  me  much.  It  was 
more  the  turn  of  the  phrase  and  a  peculiar  form  of  ex- 
pression. 

Sunday,  February  21,  1892. 
It  is  very  mild  to-day — a  complete  thaw.  Wolff  came 
to  breakfast,  also  Mdme.  de  Florian,  and  we  drove  out  to 
White  Lodge  for  tea.  It  was  pleasant  enough  driving, 
as  there  was  no  wind,  but  the  park  and  place  looked 
dreary.  I  had  always  seen  it  so  gay,  with  so  many  young 
people  about,  that  I  could  hardly  realise  that  it  was  the 
same  house.  We  were  expected — two  or  three  footmen 
in  deep  mourning  were  at  the  door  and  took  us  at  once 
to  the  drawing-room.  In  a  few  minutes  the  three  ap- 
peared: father,  mother,  and  daughter.  I  was  rather 
nervous,  but  they  were  so  natural,  it  was  such  real  grief, 
that  we  felt  quite  at  our  ease,  and  so  sorry  for  them  all. 
Princess  May  looked  lovely.  She  has  grown  much  thin- 
ner, and  the  long  black  dress  covered  with  crepe,  with 
the  white  collar  and  cuffs  (that  all  widows  wear  in  Eng- 
land), was  most  becoming.  Her  complexion  was  beau- 
tiful, so  delicate,  and  her  eyes  had  that  peculiar  bright 
look  that  one  sees  in  people  who  have  cried  a  great  deal. 
Before  tea  I  had  a  long  talk  with  Princess  Mary,  who 
said  that  it  all  seemed  a  dream — the  first  days  at  White 
Lodge,  when  the  young  couple  were  so  happy,  making 
all  sorts  of  plans,  for  their  future  seemed  so  bright  and 


342    LETTERS  OF  A  DIPLOMAT'S  WIFE    [Feb. 

brilliant;  so  convinced  that  long  years  of  happiness  and 
usefulness  were  before  them  that  she  was  frightened 
sometimes,  and  used  to  tell  them  that  there  would  be  great 
cares  and  responsibilities  in  their  position,  and  that  they 
must  both  help  each  other  as  much  as  they  could  (she 
said  Prince  Eddie  was  naturally  timid,  and  rather  dis- 
posed to  underrate  his  intelligence).  Then  came  the 
sudden  change.  Those  terrible  days  at  Sandringham, 
where  she  hoped  against  hope,  and  then  the  coming  back 
to  White  Lodge,  which  must  have  been  heart-breaking. 
I  only  said  a  few  words  to  Princess  May  as  we  were 
going  away,  but  Mdme.  de  Florian  had  some  talk  with 
her.  She  said  she  felt  stunned — could  hardly  believe  that 
all  was  over,  but  that  she  must  try  and  take  up  her  life 
again.    "It  will  be  very  hard;  I  suppose  I  was  too  happy." 

They  are  starting  at  once  for  the  South,  and  I  hope  it 
will  do  her  good.  Various  people  came  in,  among  others 
Mrs.  Mitford,  who  is  a  devoted  friend  of  the  Tecks,  and 
so  sorry  for  them.  She  said  it  was  melancholy  to  see 
them  the  first  days  after  they  got  back  to  White  Lodge. 
All  the  presents  had  to  be  put  away  or  sent  back ;  all  the 
letters  and  telegrams  sorted  and  put  away,  and  that 
Princess  May  moved  about  like  a  ghost. 

We  had  a  quiet  evening  until  some  late  telegrams  came 
announcing  a  Ministerial  crisis  in  France,  for  nothing 
apparently.  W.  and  his  secretaries  were  disgusted. 
There  are  so  many  changes  in  France,  and  we  never 
know  who  is  coming  to  the  Foreign  Office.  I  think  it 
is  time  for  us  to  go  back.  We  have  been  away  a  long 
time,  and  it  isn't  good  for  a  man  to  live  too  much  out 
of  his  own  country. 


1892]  "VENICE"  AT  THE  OLYMPIA  343 

Albert  Gate, 
Wednesday,  February  24,  1892. 

It  is  very  cold  and  foggy  this  morning,  impossible  to 
ride;  we  see  all  the  grooms  exercising  the  saddle  horses 
in  the  Park.  I  went  for  tea  as  usual  to  Mdme.  de  Bylandt. 
He  is  still  in  his  bed,  and  very  bad  I  imagine.  This  even- 
ing we  have  been  to  "Venice,"  the  great  show  at  Olympia. 
We  went  a  family  party  (Embassy),  Florians,  St.  Genys, 
Pontavice,  d'Agoult.  It  is  really  very  prettily  done ;  you 
must  see  it  when  you  come  over.  We  had  a  capital  box 
directly  in  the  centre  of  the  house,  but  the  director,  hear- 
ing we  were  there,  came  to  pay  us  a  visit,  and  transferred 
fis  to  the  Royal  box,  which  is  very  large  and  comfortable 
— seats  twenty  people  easily.  He  sent  us  some  ices,  and 
said  he  would  have  two  gondolas  waiting  at  the  end  of 
the  performance  to  take  us  through  the  lagoons.  The 
performance  was  a  sort  of  ballet — very  pretty  girls  well 
got  up  in  Venetian  costume,  very  artistically  grouped, 
and  quantities  of  colour.  As  soon  as  it  was  over  we 
went  down  to  the  **Canal,"  where  we  found  two  gon- 
dolas, the  real  thing,  with  Venetian  gondoliers,  who  were 
much  pleased  when  I  spoke  Italian  to  them.  We  went 
all  around  the  show,  passing  under  the  Bridge  of  Sighs, 
and  finally  wound  up  at  a  Neapolitan  cafe,  where  they 
were  playing  and  singing  all  the  well-known  Italian 
songs,  "Santa  Lucia,"  "Bella  Napoli,"  etc.  Florian  of 
course  found  a  friend,  one  of  the  singers,  who  recognised 
him,  having  seen  him  in  Rome  when  she  was  singing 
there;  so  of  course  we  all  fraternised,  and  we  stayed 
there  some  time  listening  to  all  the  familiar  songs  and 
accompaniment  of  guitar  and  mandoline.  We  had  quite 
the  impression  of  having  spent  our  evening  in  Italy.  W. 
was  much  amused  when  we  told  him  of  Florian's  "con- 
naissance,"  as  he  always  says  he  knows  more  people  than 


344    LETTERS   OF  A  DIPLOMAT'S  WIFE  [Mar 

anyone  he  has  ever  seen,  and  is  related  to  half  France. 
He  is  always  going  to  some  cousin's  funeral  in  Paris. 
French  people  are  so  particular  about  funerals — never 
fail  to  pay  that  last  respect  to  their  dead  friends;  also 
wear  mourning  much  more  than  we  do.  They  are  con- 
stantly in  real  mourning  (not  merely  fancy  black)  for 
three  weeks  or  a  month,  for  a  very  distant  cousin. 

Albert  Gate, 
Monday,  March  9,  1892. 

It  is  cold  and  snowing,  not  a  very  pleasant  day  for 
our  excursion  to  Herkomer's  studio,  in  the  country ;  how- 
ever, I  had  a  line  from  Hilda  saying  they  were  quite 
willing  to  go  if  I  didn't  mind  the  weather,  so  I  consulted 
with  Lecomte,  one  of  the  secretaries  who  was  going  with 
us,  and  we  thought  we  would  go.  It  would  be  very  diffi- 
cult for  me  to  find  another  day,  as  London  is  filling  up 
for  its  avant-saison,  and  we  have  quantities  of  engage- 
ments. We  met  the  Deichmanns  at  the  station,  and  there 
discovered  that  we  had  40  minutes  to  wait,  so  we  break- 
fasted there  in  the  big  dining-room,  and  it  wasn't  bad 
at  all.  Deichmann  knows  everybody  and  is  well  known 
at  Euston — so  thanks  to  him  we  had  a  really  excellent 
breakfast  (and  it  turned  out  very  well,  as  we  only  got 
to  Herkomer's  for  tea,  and  we  should  have  been  half 
starved).  We  had  about  three-quarters  of  an  hour  by  rail 
to  our  destination,  Bushey,  in  the  county  of  Herts.  It 
was  bright  and  beautiful  when  we  got  to  the  station,  but 
the  trees  were  white  with  frost  and  snow  everywhere. 
We  found  our  host  in  a  temporary  installation.  He  is 
building  himself  an  enormous  castle,  and  all  the  work, 
stone-cutting,  wood-carving,  painting,  etc.,  is  done  on  the 
spot  by  his  pupils,  Herkomer  himself  superintending  and 
directing  everything.    He  is  most  interesting;  full  of  all 


i892]        AN  EVENING  AT  WILHELMI'S  345 

sorts  of  knowledge  and  fancies.  We  went  over  the  stu- 
dios and  saw  everything.  Some  dull  red  wood  they  were 
using  came  from  America  he  told  me — I  forget  the 
name  of  the  tree,  I  think  a  Californian.  It  would  have 
amused  you  to  see  the  eager,  intelligent  faces  of  the 
young  workmen,  especially  when  Herkomer  w^as  going 
about  explaining  his  ideas  and  criticising  or  encouraging. 
It  reminded  me  rather  of  an  evening  at  Wilhelmj's  (the 
great  violinist)  long  ago  in  Germany.  He  had  a  villa 
near  my  sister-in-law's,  Mdme.  Charles  de  Bunsen,  at 
Mosbach,  near  Biebrich-am-Rhein.  We  all  went  over 
there  one  night  to  a  musical  party  when  I  was  staying 
with  my  sister.  His  house  was  most  artistically  ar- 
ranged, all  "Alt  Deutsch,"  with  an  enormous  music- 
room.  He  was  waiting  for  us  there  surrounded  by  all 
his  pupils,  about  10,  with  their  violins  and  music-stands, 
and  all  looking  so  eager  and  anxious  to  begin.  He 
played  himself  quite  beautifully,  and  when  he  was  accom- 
panied by  all  the  others  it  was  a  very  pretty  sight,  he  in 
the  middle  and  all  the  young  ones  around  him  with  their 
eyes  fixed  on  him.  He  was  one  of  Wagner's  right-hand 
men  and  played  often  with  him.  They  played  among 
other  things  the  prelude  of  "Parsifal,"  which  haunted 
me  for  days  afterward.  You  can't  imagine  anything 
more  divine  than  those  beautiful  long  notes  of  his  and 
the  soft  arpeggio  accompaniments  of  the  violins.  I 
couldn't  hear  anything  else  afterward.  Someone  asked 
him  to  play  Schubert's  "Ave  Maria,"  which  he  did  of 
course  beautifully,  but  it  sounded  so  tame  after  the  other, 
which  I  told  him;  but  he  said  I  was  quite  wrong,  that 
Schubert  had  written  beautiful  things,  so  melodious.  All 
the  same,  I  would  have  preferred  remaining  with  the 
impression  of  that  wonderful  prelude.  What  reminded 
me  of  all  this  was  the  same  sort  of  cadre — "Maitre  el 


346    LETTERS  OF  A  DIPLOMAT'S  WIFE  [Mar 

apprentis,"  for  Herkomer  is  quite  the  old-fashioned  em- 
bodiment of  the  "Master"  with  his  pupils.  We  had  tea 
in  the  studio,  where  there  were  some  fine  portraits.  I 
think  I  like  his  men  better  than  his  women.  It  is  so  dif- 
ficult to  make  an  interesting  picture  of  a  man  in  ordinary- 
everyday  dress.  Herkomer  has  certainly  succeeded  in 
making  some  wonderful  pictures,  without  uniform,  or 
costume,  or  colour  of  any  kind  to  appeal  to  the  imagina- 
tion. We  got  back  late  for  dinner.  I  was  rather  tired 
and  cold  after  my  long  day — we  had  started  early,  and  I 
persuaded  W.  with  some  difiiculty  to  go  to  Lord  Salis- 
bury's reception  without  me.  However,  he  rather  en- 
joyed himself.  He  didn't  get  much  farther  than  the 
door,  where  he  remained  talking  with  Lady  Salisbury, 
which  he  always  likes.  I  don't  think  he  was  away  more 
than  an  hour. 

Albert  Gate, 
March  28,  1892. 

We  had  a  nice  canter  this  morning.  There  were  a 
good  many  people  out.  We  had  a  pleasant  dinner  last 
night  at  Lady  Winifred  Gardner's,  one  of  those  curious 
mixtures  one  only  sees  in  London.  The  Brownlows, 
Lord  Carrington,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Gladstone,  Hare  the 
actor  and  his  wife,  also  various  stray  men.  I  found  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Gladstone  both  much  changed — much  older — 
but  he  is  marvellous — talked,  eat,  and  drank  like  a  man 
of  50.  Hare  talked  a  great  deal,  and  a  great  deal  to  W., 
who  found  him  clever  and  original. 

Wednesday,  30th. 
Well,  my  Dear,  I  opened  my  bazaar  yesterday,  and  you 
will  be  surprised  to  hear  that  I  was  rather  nervous — only 
for  one  moment,  I  must  say,  when  they  asked  me,  after 


iS92]  A  CHARITY  BAZAAR  347 

one  or  two  speeches  and  a  little  ''Marseillaise,"  if  I  would 
pronounce  the  sacramental  phrase  and  declare  the  bazaar 
open.  I,  with  the  committee,  was  seated  in  a  red  chair 
on  the  platform.  When  I  got  up  (the  only  person  stand- 
ing) and  saw  the  crowd  of  faces  beneath  me  looking 
hard  at  me,  for  a  moment  I  was  shy,  but  that  didn't  last. 
They  all  cheered  me,  so  I  recovered  myself  and  made  my 
statement,  I  think  in  a  clear  voice.  W.  jibed  at  me  well 
afterward  when  I  told  him.  I  made  a  tour  of  the  bazaar, 
buying  something  at  each  stall,  Lecomte  bringing  up  the 
rear,  carrying  a  large  doll.  Do  you  remember  what  Las- 
teyrie  used  to  say  when  he  was  W.'s  Chef  de  Cabinet  at 
ITnstruction  Publique — that  one  of  his  principal  func- 
tions was  to  accompany  Madame  Waddington  to  all  the 
"Ventes  de  Charite"  carrying  a  "paquet  de  chemises  de 
femme,"  which  means  that  I  get  so  tired  of  all  the  fancy 
boxes,  and  pin-cushions,  and  screens  I  accumulate  at  the 
various  sales  that  I  finally  asked  for  "layettes"  and  "vete- 
ments  de  pauvres."  Of  course  I  can  never  have  too 
many  in  the  country.  I  was  amused  to  hear  one  of  my 
friends  here  who  collects  for  the  numerous  "guilds"  di- 
late upon  the  smallness  of  the  objects  sent  her.  She  says 
she  receives  dresses  and  "brassieres"  (a  sort  of  body 
with  sleeves)  that  would  go  on  no  child  of  any  age  that 
she  has  ever  seen.  It  is  rather  my  own  experience — 
people  usually  give  me  very  minute  garments,  also  in  the 
most  delicate  colours,  and  my  children  work  in  the  fields 
and  at  the  "tourbieres." 

After  we  had  visited  all  the  stalls  we  had  tea  (not  in 
a  private  room)  at  a  round  table  at  one  end  of  the  hall 
near  the  bufifet.  M.  Dupoutet  de  la  Harpe,  the  Protes- 
tant pasteur  who  got  up  the  bazaar,  explaining  that  the 
people  would  so  like  to  see  us.  I  am  always  very  dressy 
on  those  occasions,  so  I  was  dressed  in  black  satin  with 


348    LETTERS  OF  A  DIPLOMAT'S  WIFE  [Mar 

a  great  deal  of  jet,  and  light  blue  feathers  in  my  bonnet 
I  had  just  time  to  get  home,  have  some  tea,  and  see  that 
my  "orgue  Mustel"  had  arrived  and  was  properly  placed 
and  tuned  to  go  with  the  piano,  and  to  assist  at  a  small 
rehearsal  with  M.  Guillemain  (organist  at  La  Trinite 
in  Paris),  for  whom  I  am  having  a  dinner  to-night,  Me- 
rindol,  and  Miss  Stuart,  an  American  girl  who  has  a  fine 
voice.  The  "orgue  Mustel"  is  small  and  looks  like  a 
harmonium,  but  it  has  wonderful  tones,  particularly 
when  played  by  a  master  hand  like  Guillemain's. 

My  dinner  interested  me  very  much— I  hope  the  guests 
had  the  same  impression.  I  called  it  my  ^'dinner  of  or- 
ganists," and  I  tried  to  get  as  many  of  the  great  English 
organists  as  possible,  but  only  two  came  (the  notice  was 
short),  Dr.  Stainer  of  St.  Paul's  and  Dr.  Bridge  of 
Westminster  Abbey.  Both  have  splendid  instruments, 
and  it  is  a  great  pleasure  to  stay  sometimes  after  a  week- 
day service  and  hear  a  fugue  rolling  through  those  great 
vaulted  aisles.  I  had  only  asked  musical  people,  and 
warned  them  that  it  was  serious.  We  were  24  at  dinner, 
and  about  100  in  the  evening.  The  music  was  in  the 
ballroom  and  the  organ  sounded  very  well,  quite  a  vol- 
ume of  sound.  Guillemain  played,  of  course,  beautifully 
and  made  it  give  all  it  could.  The  duos,  organ  and  piano, 
were  charming.  Miss  Stuart  sang  very  well.  I  found 
Dr.  Bridge  most  sympathetic.  He  and  Florence  Will- 
iams made  great  friends,  and  he  promised  to  play  her  a 
gavotte  whenever  she  likes  if  she  would  dance.  I  think 
you  would  have  liked  the  evening — it  wasn't  banal.  Staal 
was  sympathetic  and  interested,  and  asked  me  what  was 
the  next  original  entertainment  I  was  contemplating. 


1892]  RIVER   LIFE  349 

Wednesday,  31st. 
We  have  rather  a  worrying  letter  from  Henrietta  this 
morning  saying  their  house  in  Paris  was  watched  by  the 
poHce,  having  been  threatened  by  the  dynamiters  on  ac- 
count of  a  judge  who  hves  in  the  house.  All  the  loca- 
taires  are  leaving,  and  she  is  bothered,  and  wants  to 
know  what  she  must  do  with  Francis  (who  always  goes 
to  her  Thursday  and  Sunday).  I  want  W.  to  write  to 
the  Prefet  de  Police  to  ask  for  an  extra  man,  but  he 
doesn't  seem  to  attach  importance  to  it^ — says  no  harm 
ever  comes  when  a  thing  is  announced  beforehand.  I 
can't  help  feeling  uncomfortable. 


To  G.  K.  S. 

Albert  Gate, 
April  3,  1892. 

It  IS  rather  nice  to-day.  After  brerkfast  we  drove 
down  to  Battersea  Park,  not  a  very  fashionable  resort, 
and  walked  about  along  the  river,  which  is  aiways  alive 
— ^boats,  barges,  steamers,  children  in  battered  old  scows 
that  look  as  if  they  would  break  in  two  on  the  smallest 
provocation,  and  loungers  of  all  kinds,  some  fishing, 
most  doing  nothing  and  keeping  up  a  running  fire  of  chaff 
and  criticisms.  The  river  life  plays  a  great  part  in  Lon- 
don— the  Thames  is  such  a  thoroughfare  all  about  Lon- 
don, and  a  beautiful  pleasure  ground  higher  up  by  Maid- 
enhead, Clieveden,  etc.  We  dined  this  evening  at  Lady 
Mary  Lloyd's.  She  sang  very  well  after  dinner,  and 
we  went  later  to  Lady  Ashburton's,  who  has  a  beautiful 
house  crammed  with  pictures  and  curios  of  all  kinds. 
She  had  a  concert  of  "old  music"  with  old  instruments 
— spinet,  viola,  viol  d'amour,  etc.     It  was  interesting  in 


350    LETTERS  OF  A  DIPLOMAT'S  WIFE  [Aprii. 

its  way  as  a  souvenir,  but  sounded  weak  and  tinkly.     In 
these  days  of  great  orchestras  no  one  would  Hsten  to  it. 

Easter  Tuesday,  April  19,  1892. 
I  am  delighted  to  have  Henrietta  and  Francis,  the 
boy's  first  holidays  since  he  has  been  in  Paris,  and  he  is 
enjoying  himself  extremely.  He  rides  with  his  father 
every  morning,  and  goes  about  all  day  with  his  friends. 
We  are  busy  getting  up  a  "toy  symphony" — Mile.  Levi- 
sohn,  Francis's  piano  mistress,  organises  it.  Francis  has 
the  piano,  Comte  Vinci,  our  Roman  friend  (who  plays 
extremely  well),  is  first  violin;  a  little  boy,  a  friend  of 
Mile.  Levisohn's,  the  2nd,  and  the  minor  instruments  are 
distributed  among  all  the  children,  Edwardes,  Lawrence, 
Billes,  Deichmann,  etc.  We  gave  young  Bille,  son  of 
the  Danish  Minister,  the  drum — but  the  unfortunate  boy 
could  do  nothing  with  it,  and  his  mother  said  he  must 
have  some  lessons.  I  applied  to  Pontavice  (our  Military 
Attache),  who  said  he  was  sure  one  of  his  friends,  an 
officer  in  the  Guards,  would  arrange  it  for  me,  so  accord- 
ingly there  appeared  one  morning  a  gentleman  (Mr. 
Lloyd,  I  think)  who  said  his  friend,  Comte  de  Pontavice, 
had  told  him  that  I  wished  to  have  some  lessons  on  the 
drum,  and  that  the  drum-major  of  the  regiment  was 
quite  at  my  service.  I  hastily  explained  that  the  lessons 
were  not  for  me,  but  for  a  young  friend  who  was  to 
play  that  instrument  in  a  toy  symphony.  He  didn't 
seem  at  all  surprised  at  my  wishing  to  learn  to  play  the 
drum,  and  yet  I  can't  help  thinking  that  he  hadn't  often 
been  applied  to  for  lessons  on  the  drum  for  an  Am- 
bassadress. He  promised  to  send  his  man  to  the  Dan- 
ish Legation,  and  Mdme.  de  Bille  told  me  that  all  the 
household  was  upset,  and  the  maids  distracted  by  the 
magnificent  drum-major  who  came  three  or  four  times, 


1892}  A    TOY    SYMPHONY  351 

and  retired  to  a  sort  of  basement,  where  he  and  the  boy 
rattled  away  on  the  drum.  If  I  had  ever  imagined  what 
an  undertaking  it  was,  I  never  should  have  agreed  to 
the  performance.  The  principal  instruments,  piano  and 
violins,  were  all  right,  but  all  the  small  ones,  quails, 
nightingales,  and  cuckoos  (oh,  the  cuckoos!)  w^ere  some- 
thing awful.  The  children  distracted  (sometimes  they 
had  25  measures  to  count),  the  mammas  and  governesses 
equally  so,  and  the  impartial  assistants  (who  had  no  chil- 
dren taking  part)  remarking  to  me  with  absolute  frank- 
ness that  it  was  the  most  aw^ful  noise  they  had  ever  heard. 
Comte  Vinci,  first  violin,  was  a  tower  of  strength,  and 
kept  them  all  in  order.  It  is  awfully  good  of  him  to  come 
and  play  with  all  those  children. 

Friday,  April  22,  1892. 
I  will  write  you  about  the  performance  at  once,  as  I 
am  too  tired  to  do  anything  else^  and  have  dined  quietly 
at  home.  We  had  a  last  repetition  this  morning — Mile. 
Levisohn  directing  from  a  small  platform  covered  with 
red  cloth.  For  the  first  time  I  thought  it  would  go — 
really  almost  all  the  instruments  were  in  tune  and  in 
time.  Francis  had  been  giving  private  rehearsals  all  the 
morning  to  Wilhelm  Deichmann  (trumpet)  and  the 
child,  I  forget  which  one,  that  had  the  triangle.  The 
performance  began  at  4,  and  the  orchestra  was  most 
effective.  All  the  young  ladies  were  in  white  and  the 
men  in  dress  clothes  and  white  boutonnieres.  It  was 
killing  to  see  all  eyes  fixed  upon  Mile.  Levisohn  as  she 
stood  on  her  platform  with  her  baton  raised.  It  really 
went  extremely  well.  Pfeffer  happened  in,  and  said  he 
had  never  heard  the  Romberg  Symphony  better  given. 
After  the  music  was  over  Francis  and  Hilda  Deichmann 
played  a  little  comedy,  "La  Souris,"  really  very  well — 


352    LETTERS   OF  A  DIPLOMAT'S  WIFE  [April 

Mdme.  Thenard  had  coached  them  both.  They  weren't 
at  all  shy,  and  looked  funny  perched  on  chairs,  standing, 
afraid  of  an  imaginary  mouse.  They  wound  up  with  a 
dance,  Gevers  leading  a  most  spirited  cotillon.  Francis 
danced  with  Nannie,  who  looked  very  pretty.  He  was 
very  proud  of  his  American  cousin.  Mile.  Levisohn  had 
many  compliments,  and  I  think  she  was  pleased.  She 
certainly  took  no  end  of  trouble. 

Albert  Gate, 
Thursday,  April  28th. 

I  had  a  nice  ride  this  morning  with  Pontavice.  W. 
and  Francis  went  off  on  Monday — W.  to  Laon  and 
Francis  to  school.  Last  night  Henrietta  and  I  went  to 
the  Italian  Embassy,  where  there  was  a  contract  party 
for  Tornielli's  niece,  who  is  to  marry  the  Marquis  Pau- 
lucci,  one  of  the  secretaries.  The  fiancee  looked  charm- 
ing in  pink  satin,  with  a  very  pretty  diamond  tiara  that 
her  uncle  had  given  her.  There  were  a  great  many 
people.  I  had  the  Camerons  with  me — Nannie  looking 
very  pretty  and  chic  in  red  satin  with  gold  wings  in 
her  hair.  I  told  her  the  dress  was  much  too  old  and 
heavy  for  her,  she  should  have  been  in  white  tulle,  with 
nothing  in  her  hair,  but  she  says  all  the  American  girls 
wear  satin.  The  Tornielli  entertainments  are  always 
handsome;  their  full  dress  livery  red  is  so  effective. 
Henrietta  and  I  have  been  driving  about  shopping.  I 
never  go  near  a  shop  alone,  but  Mrs.  Edwardes  told  us 
there  were  wonderful  "occasions"  for  silks  at  Marshall 
&  Snelgrove's.  We  did  pick  up  several  things  not  dear. 
The  English  shops  are  not  at  all  like  the  French  ones. 


1892]  MAY-DAY    IN    LONDON  353 

To  H,  L.  K. 

French  Embassy,  London, 
May  I,  1892. 

It  is  very  cold  to-day,  and  I  think  generally  is  on  the 
1st  of  May.  One  can't  imagine  a  Queen  of  the  May, 
crowned  with  flowers,  dancing  around  a  May-Pole.  We 
are  rather  shivering,  with  a  good  fire  in  the  room.  It  is 
true  that  we  have  been  sitting  for  some  time  at  the  win- 
dow looking  at  the  crowds  of  people  pouring  into  the 
Park  for  their  great  demonstration  (anti-capitalist).  It 
seems  to  be  all  going  quite  quietly — there  are  processions, 
and  banners,  and  brass  bands  (such  horrors),  the  usual 
thing,  and  I  am  sure  there  will  be  no  row  and  that  noth- 
ing will  happen — nothing  ever  does  happen  in  England. 

The  Salvation  Army  are  also  holding  their  service  in 
the  Park,  so  near  that  we  can  almost  hear  the  hymns. 
There  are  always  soldiers  hovering  near  when  they  have 
their  service;  I  wonder  if  it  does  any  good.  When  we 
were  at  Dover  last  year  I  went  quite  often  to  their  ser- 
vice— they  had  one  almost  every  afternoon,  late,  on  the 
beach.  It  was  a  curious  sight,  such  a  motley  crowd, 
rugged  old  fishermen,  boys  (half  water  rats),  women, 
children,  and  occasionally  a  well-dressed,  prosperous 
small  tradesman,  often  soldiers — some  lounging  on  the 
outskirts  of  the  little  circle,  some  sitting  on  boats,  some 
reverent,  some  merely  curious,  but  all  joining  in  the 
hymns.  I  must  say  it  interested  me  very  much ;  not  the 
sermon,  nor  the  preachers  as  a  general  thing,  but  the  little 
earnest  group  gathered  on  the  sands  with  the  swash  of 
the  waves  for  an  accompaniment,  and  the  red  coats  of 
the  soldiers  making  a  patch  of  colour.  Some  of  the 
women  looked  pretty  even  in  their  regulation  poke- 
bonnets. 


354    LETTERS   OF  A  DIPLOMAT'S  WIFE    [Ua\ 

French  Embassy,  London, 
May  1 8th. 

It  is  a  beautiful,  fine  day.  I  did  not  perform  the  Draw- 
ing-room, but  walked  about  in  the  crowd  with  Ponta- 
vice,  which  was  decidedly  amusing.  We  saw  a  good 
many  people  we  knew  in  the  carriages  and  talked  to  some 
of  them.  Very  tired  they  looked,  having  been  for  hours 
in  the  string.  I  wanted  too  to  see  some  of  the  handsome 
English  turn-outs,  as  when  we  go  ourselves  we  hardly 
see  anything  but  colleagues.  The  policeman,  w^ho  knew 
us,  let  us  stand  where  we  liked — I  told  him  to  stop  the 
French  Ambassador's  carriage  when  it  came  out.  He 
did,  and  I  jumped  in,  much  to  the  astonishment  of  the 
crowd.  We  had  a  pleasant  dinner  at  Lady  Delamere's. 
About  the  middle  the  electric  light  went  out  and  we  sat 
for  a  few  minutes  in  perfect  darkness,  except  for  a  suc- 
cession of  matches  that  Lord  Wimborne,  who  was  next 
to  me,  lit.  The  servants  lost  their  heads,  and  didn't  think 
at  first  of  lighting  candles  which  were  on  the  table.  It 
only  lasted  those  few  minutes.  Of  course  such  accidents 
will  happen  perpetually  until  the  system  is  perfected  and 
universally  applied. 

Saturday,  May  20th. 
We  had  a  pleasant  dinner  to-night  at  Lord  Tweed- 
mouth's  and  I  went  afterward  to  a  very  handsome  ball 
at  the  Burtons'  with  Nannie  and  Pontavice.  They  have 
Chesterfield  House — one  of  the  best  London  houses — 
flowers  and  electric  light  everywhere,  and  such  splendid 
pictures.  All  the  smart  women  in  London  were  there, 
and  all  with  their  tiaras,  except  one,  who  explained  to  me 
that  tiaras  should  only  be  worn  at  Embassies,  or  when 
one  was  invited  to  meet  Royalties,  "which  of  course  you 
understand,  as  you  haven't  put  yours  on" — so  I  didn't 


1892]      ENGLISH    WOMEN    IN    POLITICS       355 

tell  the  reason,  which  was  that  I  had  forgotten  mine, 
I  so  rarely  wear  anything  in  my  hair,  and  a  tiara  is 
heavy;  also  I  have  to  be  "recoiffee,"  which  I  hate.  My 
hair  is  done  in  the  morning,  and  walks  or  rides  all  day, 
and  is  merely  pulled  out  a  little  at  night. 

Saturday,  May  21,  1892. 
We  dined  to-night  at  the  Trevelyans,  all  Conserva- 
tives. The  Stanleys  (African  Stanley)  were  there.  He 
looks  as  hard  as  steel,  but  I  suppose  couldn't  do  what  he 
has  done  if  he  were  not.  Many  say  he  wants  to  be  an 
M.P.  and  is  sure  of  his  election.  His  wife  can  help  him 
enormously.  It  is  so  curious  to  me  to  see  all  the  women 
occupying  themselves  so  energetically  with  politics.  They 
go  about  the  country  canvassing  for  their  husbands ;  wear 
the  colours  of  the  party;  and  have  affiches  sometimes  in 
their  windows.  I  saw  one  well-known  political  w^oman 
in  London  who  had  large  bills  posted  on  her  window, 
"Vote  for  Lord  R."  We  should  be  hooted  in  France  if 
we  did  that  sort  of  thing.  My  husband  has  been  candi- 
date very  often,  for  many  offices,  but  I  have  scarcely  seen 
his  name  at  the  bottom  of  a  circular  and  never  heard  him 
address  a  public  meeting  of  any  kind — in  fact,  have  never 
been  in  the  country  when  the  elections  w^ere  going  on.  It 
is  rather  curious,  as  women  have  such  a  strong  position 
in  France — a  mere  de  famille,  and  above  all  a  grand- 
mother, is  somebody.  A  clever,  strong-minded  grand- 
mother is  a  power  in  her  family  and  immediate  circle. 

French  Embassy.  London, 
Wednesday,  June  i,  1892. 

We  had  a  funny  experience  to-night.  We  had  been 
engaged  for  some  time  to  dine  with  the  Gladstones,  to 
meet  the  Archbishop  of  Canterbury  and  Mrs.  Benson. 


356    LETTERS   OF  A  DIPLOMAT'S  WIFE   [June 

Mrs.  Gladstone  wrote  to  me  yesterday,  asking  me  to 
come  punctually  at  7.45,  as  the  Archbishop  didn't  like 
late  hours  (he  is  rather  a  delicate  man)  and  had  asked 
to  dine  early.  We  made  a  great  effort  to  get  there  in 
time — and  did;  so  did  everybody  else — except  the  Ben- 
sons.  We  waited  one  hour — then  went  to  dinner  (they 
had  sent  a  messenger  to  Lambeth  and  the  answer  came 
back  that  the  Archbishop  and  Mrs.  Benson  had  started 
hours  ago.  Everyone  was  worried  and  feared  there  must 
have  been  an  accident.  At  9.30  o'clock,  when  dinner  w^as 
practically  over  (we  had  got  to  the  jellies  and  ices),  a 
message  was  brought  to  Mr.  Gladstone.  He  left  the 
room  and  reappeared  with  the  Bensons.  The  explana- 
tion was  that  Mrs.  Gladstone  had  written  her  invitation 
from  Dollis  Hill,  a  place  belonging  to  Lord  Aberdeen, 
some  miles  out  of  London.  They  often  stay  there,  so  the 
Archbishop  naturally  imagined  he  was  to  dine  there,  and 
they  had  been  driving  about  in  the  country.  The  poor 
old  lady  was  dreadfully  put  out — "The  Archbishop  might 
have  known  that  we  were  in  London."  Of  course  the 
dinner  was  all  brought  back  and  our  evening  was  long. 
However,  we  managed  to  go  for  a  moment  to  the  For- 
eign Office.  I  said  to  Lady  Salisbury  I  hoped  it  wasn't 
the  last  time  we  were  supping  with  her  at  the  Foreign 
Office  (everyone  says  the  Liberals  are  coming  in  again). 
''Will  you  think  me  very  rude  if  I  say  I  hope  so,  though 
of  course  I  shall  always  want  to  see  my  friends  in  Arling- 
ton Street"  (their  private  residence).  I  think  she  and 
Lord  Salisbury  are  both  tired  and  will  be  glad  to  have 
a  rest,  not  that  they  will  socially,  for  they  are  always 
receiving,  both  in  London  and  at  Hatfield.  We  got  home 
fairly  early,  though  the  streets  were  crowded,  Piccadilly 
something  awful.  It  is  a  regular  London  night — car- 
riages rolling  in  every  direction,  and  all  the  world  dining, 


1892]       CONCERT    BY    A    FRENCH    BAND      357 

dancing,  supping.  W.  was  rather  funny  over  the  dinner 
and  the  long  wait,  but  said  that  if  he  had  been  in  Ben- 
son's place  he  would  have  gone  straight  home  from 
Dollis  Hill,  and  had  a  cup  of  tea  in  his  library. 

Thursday,  July  2,  1892. 
We  had  a  small  luncheon  party  this  morning  to  hear 
the  band  of  the  Garde  Republicaine,  who  have  come 
over  from  Paris  for  a  few  days  to  the  Exhibition.  They 
play  magnificently — we  have  been  to  hear  them  once  or 
twice  and  I  assure  you  when  they  play  the  ''Marseillaise" 
it  makes  one's  pulses  leap.  We  had  the  Duke  of  Cam- 
bridge, Prince  Edward  of  Saxe-Weimar,  Staals,  Coven- 
trys,  etc.  They  played  on  the  terrace — we  had  draped 
the  balcony  with  red  stuffs,  and  had  some  flowers  and 
plants  and  about  70  chairs  on  the  terrace.  The  Duke 
talked  a  great  deal.  As  soon  as  luncheon  was  over  he 
went  straight  to  the  library,  which  opens  on  the  terrace. 
We  presented  the  Chef-de-Musique,  and  they  played  at 
once  a  few  bars  of  "God  Save  the  Queen";  then  the 
"Marseillaise,"  everyone  standing.  Someone  said  to  the 
Duke,  "It  is  very  fine,  but  not  an  anthem  like  our  'God 
Save  the  Queen.'  "  "Non,"  he  answered,  "mais  c'est  un 
magnifique  chant  de  guerre."  They  played  for  about  an 
hour,  people  coming  and  going  and  standing  about  on  the 
terrace.  Some  of  our  friends  passing  couldn't  imagine 
what  was  going  on — there  was  quite  a  crowd  collected  in 
the  Park  listening.  My  dress  hadn't  come  from  Paris, 
so  I  wore  white,  trimmed  with  Valenciennes;  I  thought 
a  little  of  wearing  a  tiny  tricolour  bow,  but  didn't  after 
all.  One  of  the  prettiest  women  there  was  Mrs.  Aster, 
in  black,  with  a  big  black  picture  hat. 


358    LETTERS  OF  A  DIPLOMAT'S  WIFE   [Julv 

To  H.  L.  K. 

Walmer  Castle, 
July  17,  1892. 

We  came  down  here  yesterday  and  hoped  (at  least  I 
did)  to  have  a  lovely  day  on  the  water.  Lord  Duffer  in 
is  a  great  yachtsman  and  cruises  all  about  in  his  own 
little  boat.  At  the  present  moment  it  is  pouring — I  can 
hardly  see  the  sea — every  now  and  then  comes  a  partial 
break  and  I  get  a  glimpse  of  a  great  grey  expanse  of 
water.  We  got  down  for  dinner  last  night ;  a  small  party, 
as  there  are  not  many  bedrooms — Lord  and  Lady  Wan- 
tage (he  such  a  nice  man,  one  of  the  few  Englishmen  who 
has  the  "Legion  d'Honneur,"  which  he  got  in  the  Cri- 
mean War),  the  Marchesa  Chigi  from  Rome,  and  various 
young  men.  The  dinner  was  handsome — Lord  Dufferin 
always  a  charming  host — and  we  finished  the  evening  in 
the  big  drawing-room,  where  I  always  feel  as  if  I  were 
in  the  cabin  of  a  ship,  it  is  so  directly  on  the  water.  It 
looks  exactly  as  it  did  in  Lady  Granville's  time,  and  in 
fact  Lady  D.  told  me  she  had  not  changed  anything. 
When  I  went  to  the  drawing-room  this  morning  I  found 
the  three  ladies  talking  and  trying  to  persuade  themselves 
that  it  would  clear  after  lunch.  I  said  I  did  not  mind 
weather  and  could  not  stay  in  the  house  all  day,  so  we 
agreed  to  equip  ourselves  suitably  and  go  for  a  walk 
after  lunch.  In  the  meantime  Lady  D.  took  me  over  the 
house — we  went  to  see  Wellington's  room  (where  he 
died).  His  little  camp-bed  is  still  there,  and  some  inter- 
esting relics,  bits  of  uniform,  and  one  or  two  letters 
framed  and  hung  upon  the  wall.  The  room  is  small,  in 
one  of  the  towers,  nothing  magnificent  or  ducal  about  it. 
In  fact  the  whole  house  is  simple  and  not  large,  one  good 
drawing-room,  looking  straight  out  to  sea,  so  that  sitting 


i892]  WALMER    CASTLE  359 

inside  you  see  the  big  ships  pass  apparently  close  under 
the  windows — a  fair  dining-room,  no  library  or  billiard- 
room,  and  a  few  bedrooms — an  ideal  place  for  a  water 
life.  The  moat  has  been  changed  into  a  garden  and  there 
is  a  tennis-court  somewhere,  though  I  didn't  exactly  make 
out  where.  We  wxnt  for  a  walk  along  the  sea  wall  with 
waterproofs  and  umbrellas,  and  I  wondered  if  we  should 
be  blown  over  into  the  sea,  the  wind  came  in  such  violent 
gusts  sometimes.  It  seems  a  child  and  a  perambulator 
were  blown  off  the  other  day,  and  strange  to  say  nothing 
was  hurt,  neither  child  nor  perambulator — only  the  nurse 
had  hysterics.  We  walked  to  Deal  and  paid  Lady  Her- 
schell  a  visit.  I  rather  demurred  at  going  in,  as  my  hair 
was  decidedly  ruffled  and  I  was  very  wet,  but  they  all 
wanted  to  and  I  didn't  look  any  worse  than  any  of  the 
others.  The  Castle  is  fine^  interesting — not  so  large  as 
Walmer,  but  with  always  the  same  beautiful  situation 
close  to  the  sea.  It  is  one  of  the  Cinque  Ports,  and  Lord 
Sydney  had  it  as  long  as  he  lived.  The  Herschells  walked 
back  with  us,  and  coming  home  was  pleasanter,  as  the 
rain  had  stopped  and  the  wind  diminished  a  little.  I 
came  up  after  tea,  as  I  was  a  little  tired  and  thought  I 
would  take  advantage  of  a  quiet  moment  to  write  to  you. 
I  will  finish  to-night,  as  we  have  come  upstairs  early. 
We  had  rather  an  amusing  evening.  The  young  peo- 
ple proposed  playing  "Historical  Portraits,"  and  insisted 
upon  our  all  taking  part.  I  protested  vehemently,  as  I 
never  have  drawn  anything  in  my  life.  I  remember  the 
drawing  class  years  ago  at  Mrs.  Ward's,  when  we  all 
copied  a  Greek  girl  with  an  amphora  on  her  head,  and 
the  tears  I  shed  over  my  performance.  The  amphora 
(that  might  have  been  anything)  was  crooked  and  top- 
pling over,  and  all  her  arms  and  legs  were  of  different 
lengths.     Even  the  drawing  master  was  obliged  to  say 


36o    LETTERS  OF  A  DIPLOMAT'S  WIFE    [July 

I  had  no  facility  with  my  pencil  The  game  is  really  an 
undertaking.  Everyone  is  given  paper  and  pencils  and 
you  have  5  minutes  by  the  watch  to  draw  a  historical 
portrait  or  portraits.  My  neighbour,  one  of  the  sons, 
was  doing  something  most  elaborate — a  quantity  of  fig- 
ures— my  other  neighbour,  about  my  calibre,  looked 
helpless,  but  said  she  must  do  something.  What  do  you 
think  she  did?  'The  House  that  Jack  Built,"  an  infan- 
tine production  with  4  lines  and  a  chimney,  the  sort 
of  thing  that  we  all  have  done  as  children.  That  gave  me 
courage,  particularly  as  she  had  played  the  game  before, 
and  knew  what  could  be  received,  so  I  drew  the  "Man 
in  the  Moon."  Can't  you  see  it — a  large,  round  O  with 
dots  for  eyes,  nose,  and  mouth.  Some  of  the  drawings 
were  really  very  clever — the  "Field  of  the  Cloth  of  Gold" 
with  a  great  many  figures,  and  Raleigh  and  his  cloak 
before  Elizabeth ;  Queen  Elizabeth  with  a  chignon  and  a 
short  bicycle  skirt.  We  amused  ourselves  very  much. 
We  leave  to-morrow  morning,  W.  by  the  first  train,  as 
he  had  an  early  rendezvous  in  London.  I  shall  go  a  lit- 
tle later  with  the  Wantages. 

London, 
Friday,  July  22,  1892. 

W.  and  I  drove  out  to  Lyon  House  this  afternoon  to 
a  garden  party  at  the  Duke  of  Northumberland's.  It  is 
a  fine  old  place,  about  an  hour's  drive  from  London,  with 
big  iron  gates,  with  the  Percy  lion  with  its  tail  straight 
out  on  top.  The  Duke  did  not  appear — his  daughter-in- 
law,  Countess  Percy  (who  is  a  daughter  of  the  Duke  of 
Argyll)  did  the  honours.  She  showed  us  the  great  cor- 
ridor and  large  drawing-room  with  a  fine  Adam's  ceiling, 
and  then  we  went  out  into  the  garden,  where  there  were 
quantities  of  tents,  carpets,  tea-tables — and  half  London. 


i892]        PREPARING    FOR    A    HOLIDAY  361 

Everyone  was  talking  elections.  I  sympathised  with 
Philip  Stanhope,  who  has  been  beaten,  and  said,  ''Why 
didn't  you  spend  more  money  while  you  were  about  it?" 
He  was  not  in  the  least  outraged  at  such  a  question,  and 
replied  promptly,  "I  should  have  certainly,  if  I  hadn't 
been  so  sure  of  being  named."  They  say  a  great  deal  of 
money  has  been  spent  this  time. 

London,  July  27th. 

We  had  our  last  outing  for  this  year  last  night;  a 
handsome  dinner  at  Tornielli's  for  the  Due  d'Aoste. 
He  is  a  tall,  good-looking  young  fellow,  decidedly  dash- 
ing, and  inclined  to  amuse  himself.  He  is  a  curious  con- 
trast to  his  father,  whom  I  liked  extremely,  but  who  was 
cold  and  silent,  looked  like  a  Spanish  grandee  of  the 
Middle  Ages,  or  a  soldier-monk — a  very  striking  face 
and  figure.  Countess  Somaglia  (nee  Gwendoline  Doria) 
was  among  the  guests,  with  her  two  daughters.  We 
talked  a  little  of  old  days  in  Rome.  I  remember  so  well 
when  she  was  married. 

To-morrow  I  shall  make  our  paquets,  and  we  four, 
Francis  and  I,  May  and  Beatrice,  leave  for  Bayreuth  and 
the  Tyrol  by  the  Club  train  on  Saturday.  I  ordered  my 
mountain  dresses  at  Nicoll's — two  skirts  to  one  jacket — 
a  real  short  one  faced  with  leather  for  mountaineering, 
and  a  longer  one,  shortish  too,  for  travelling,  in  blue 
serge;  a  shortish  blue  linen,  and  an  alpaca.  All  the 
personnel  dine  to-night  for  good-bye.  This  is  my  9th 
season  in  London — I  wonder  if  I  shall  ever  see  it  again. 
I  have  a  presentiment  that  next  year  we  shall  only  go 
back  to  take  leave. 


3&2    LETTERS  OF  A  DIPLOMAT'S  WIFE   [Fer 

To  G,  K,  S. 

French  Embassy, 
February  i,  1893. 

We  came  over  last  night;  a  very  good  crossing,  the 
shortest  I  ever  made ;  we  were  just  one  hour  on  the  boat. 
Lady  SaHsbury  was  on  board,  coming  from  the  Riviera 
We  talked  all  the  way  over.  She  is  very  sorry  we  are 
going — says  the  Queen  will  regret  M,  Waddington  very 
much ;  that  she  had  great  confidence  in  him,  and  now,  at 
her  age,  rather  dreads  seeing  strange  faces  around  her. 
W.  is  very  glad  to  get  back  to  France— I  toOo  After  all, 
ten  years  is  a  long  time  to  be  away  from  one's  country. 

Sunday,  5th. 
W.  and  I  drove  out  this  afternoon  to  White  Lodge  to 
say  good-bye  to  Princess  Mary.  As  we  came  quite  near 
to  the  house  we  crossed  very  quickly  two  gentlemen  in 
a  hansom  and  just  recognised  the  Prince  of  Wales  and 
Prince  George„  Everyone  is  saying  that  that  marriage 
will  be  arranged.  Princess  Mary  and  Princess  May  were 
alone,  and  decidedly  more  cheerful.  Princess  May  still 
in  black,  but  with  no  crepe  and  a  little  jet.  Princess 
Mary  was  charming  and  friendly  as  she  always  is,  and 
seemed  really  sorry  we  were  going,  also  wanted  to  know 
who  was  coming  in  our  place ;  but  that  I  couldn't  tell  her. 
She  promised  to  come  to  tea  one  afternoon  at  the  Em- 
bassy before  we  went  away.  Various  people  came  in  to 
sea,  as  they  always  do  here  on  Sunday  afternoon,  and 
tomeone  said  the  marriage  was  certainly  decided  and 
would  be  announced  after  the  27th,  which  was  to  have 
l^een  the  wedding-day  last  year.  They  certainly  looked 
much  brighter  and  happier  than  I  expected  to  see  them. 


18931  GLADSTONE'S  SPEECH  ON  IRELAND    363 

French  Embassy, 
February  13,  1893. 

I  went  this  afternoon  to  the  House  of  Commons  to 
hear  Mr.  Gladstone  make  his  great  Irish  speech.  I  had 
an  excellent  place  in  the  front  row  of  the  ladies'  gallery, 
and  heard  and  saw  everything.  The  House  was  packed, 
chairs  all  along  the  gangway — the  Prince,  Dukes  of 
York  and  Teck  in  their  places,  quantities  of  peers  and 
some  diplomats — no  Ambassadors,  which  surprised  me. 
I  know  that  W.  always  prefers  reading  a  speech  the  next 
day,  but  I  thought  some  of  the  others  would  be  there. 
Mr.  Gladstone  was  much  cheered  by  both  sides  when  he 
came  in  (a  tribute  to  his  age  and  intelligence  rather  than 
to  his  politics).  He  rose  to  speak  at  a  quarter  to  4,  fin- 
ishing at  5  minutes  past  six  (two  hours  and  20  minutes). 
He  was  much  quieter  and  less  passionate  than  I  had  ex- 
pected. There  was  no  vehement  appeal  for  the  wrongs 
of  Ireland.  It  was  more  an  ^^expose  de  motifs"  than  a 
real  speech,  but  it  was  an  extraordinary  effort  for  a  man 
of  his  age  (8^).  His  voice  was  so  clear  and  strong, 
never  faltering :  a  little  weaker  and  lower  perhaps  toward 
the  end.  I  suppose  it  is  the  last  great  political  speech  he 
will  ever  make. 

To  H.  L.  K. 

French  Embassy, 
March  3,  1893. 

We  are  beginning  our  tournee  of  farewell  visits,  and 
to-day  we  have  been  to  take  leave  of  the  Prince  and  Prin- 
cess of  Wales  at  Marlborough  House.  I  had  not  seen 
the  Princess  since  Prince  Eddie's  death.  I  wore  blue 
velvet  and  my  Jubilee  medal.  We  were  received  at  the 
door  by  all  the  household — Probyn,  Lord  Suffield,  Stan- 
ley  Clark,   Lady   Suffield,   and   Miss    Knollys.     Prince 


364    LETTERS  OF  A  DIPLOMATS  WIFE  [Mar, 

George  was  in  the  first  drawing-room.  The  Prince  and 
Princess  with  two  daughters  in  the  big  long  room.  I 
can't  say  I  found  the  Princess  changed  or  grown  older. 
She  looked  sad,  but  it  was  the  same  slight,  youthful 
figure.  She  was  still  in  deep  plain  black  (woollen  stuff) 
with  no  ornaments.  She  was  charming,  with  the  sweet, 
simple  manner  she  always  has.  Tears  came  into  her 
eyes  when  she  said  she  hadn't  seen  me  for  so  long  on 
account  of  her  mourning.  I  asked  her  about  her  first 
grandchild — Princess  Louise  Fife's  little  girl.  She  said 
she  was  r.  dear  little  thing,  talked  a  great  deal,  trotted 
about  everywhere,  and  called  her  ''Granny."  W.  and  the 
Prince  talked  together,  but  we  didn't  stay  very  long.  I 
didn't  say  a  word  to  the  Princess  about  Prince  Eddie 
(they  told  me  not  to),  only  just  as  we  were  going  I  said 
I  hoped  the  end  of  the  year  would  bring  her  happiness 
and  blessing.  She  squeezed  my  hand,  but  her  lips  quiv- 
ered and  she  couldn't  speak.  She  has  been  unfailing  to 
us  always  and  said  we  should  certainly  meet  again,  and 
that  I  must  always  let  her  know  when  I  came  to  England. 
I  begin  to  realise  now  that  we  are  going,  with  all  these 
leave-takings.  After  all  we  have  been  here  10  years,  and 
that  is  a  good  piece  out  of  one's  life. 

Albert  Gate, 
March  5,  1893. 

I  wish  you  had  been  here  yesterday  to  see  the  farewell 
dinner  for  W.  at  the  Mansion  House.  It  was  a  great 
tribute  to  a  departing  Ambassador — all  the  distinguished 
men  in  England  assembled  to  say  good-bye.  The  Lady 
Mayoress  had  asked  me  to  dine  with  her  and  bring  any- 
one I  wanted,  so  I  took  Hilda  and  Mdme.  de  la  Ville- 
streux.  Hilda  and  I  started  together  a  little  before  7. 
As  we  drew  near  the  Mansion  House  there  was  quite 


I893J  A    FAREWELL    DINNER  365 

a  crowd;  quantities  of  policemen,  and  empty  carriages 
driving  away.  We  went  in  by  the  same  entrance  as  the 
men,  and  then  turned  off  sharp  to  the  right  and  were 
conducted  to  the  drawing-room  of  the  Lady  Mayoress. 
I  wore  black  moire  with  a  great  band  of  orange  velvet 
on  the  corsage,  and  all  the  jewels  I  possessed — tiara, 
pearls,  and  diamond  necklace  and  diamond  stars  and 
ornaments  fastened  on  the  front  of  the  dress,  as  I  knew 
we  were  to  sit  in  the  gallery  after  dinner  to  hear  the 
speeches.  We  found  Mdme.  de  la  Villestreux  already 
there — there  were  16  women.  The  Lady  Mayoress  pre- 
sented them  all  to  me.  They  were  all  ex-Lady  Mayor- 
esses— ''ladies  who  had  passed  the  chair,"  which  it  seems 
is  the  technical  term.  She  also  gave  me  a  splendid  bou- 
quet tied  with  a  tricolour  ribbon.  The  dinner  was  very 
good,  the  traditional  London  public  dinner  menu — turtle 
soup,  salmon,  etc.  There  was  very  handsome  silver  on 
the  table :  great  massive  bowls  and  flagons  and  beautiful 
flowers — very  quickly  served,  and  really  very  pleasant. 
After  the  first  five  minutes  everyone  talked.  Some  of  the 
women  were  handsome,  all  well  dressed  and  with  quan- 
tities of  diamonds.  Just  as  we  were  finishing  a  servant 
came  to  summon  us  to  the  gallery.  The  loving  cup  was 
going  round- and  the  speeches  were  to  begin.  The  Lady 
Mayoress  led  the  way  to  the  gallery  in  the  great  ban- 
queting hall  directly  opposite  the  table  d'honneur.  It  was 
a  striking  sight,  particularly  that  table  where  was  the 
Lord  Mayor  in  his  robes,  and  all  the  diplomatists  with 
stars  and  broad  ribbons.  There  was  a  blaze  of  light  and 
at  first  I  couldn't  recognise  anyone  (we  were  very  high), 
and  then  I  saw  W.  standing,  drinking  out  of  the  loving 
cup,  with  the  Lord  Mayor  on  one  side  and  Rustem  on  the 
other,  and  gradually  I  made  out  a  good  many  people. 
There  were  two  long  tables  besides  the  table  d'honneur, 


366    LETTERS   OF  A  DIPLOMAT'S  WIFE  [Mar 

and  they  told  me  about  300  guests.  All  the  representa- 
tive men  and  intelligence  of  England  assembled  to  say 
God-speed  to  the  departing  Ambassador.  The  Speaker 
and  Lord  Herschell  (Presidents  of  the  two  Houses)  were 
both  there,  and  men  of  every  possible  coterie  from  Lord 
Lome  to  James  Knowles  of  the  "Nineteenth  Century." 
As  soon  as  the  regular  toasts  had  been  drunk  there  was 
a  pause  and  then  came  the  toast  of  the  evening  with 
"bumpers,"  "The  French  Ambassador."  There  wxre 
roars  of  applause  when  W.  got  on  his  legs,  and  I  must 
confess  to  a  decided  choke  in  my  throat.  W.  spoke  (in 
English,  which  they  had  asked  him  to  do)  very  simply 
and  very  well,  going  back  to  his  early  days.  When  he 
said  that  he  had  done  his  best  always  to  keep  up  good 
and  friendly  relations  with  England,  and  that  he  had 
had  much  sympathy  from  all  sides,  he  was  much  cheered ; 
but  much  more  when  he  said  that  perhaps  what  had 
given  him  more  friends  in  England  than  any  of  his  public 
acts  as  a  statesman  was  the  fact  that  he  had  rowed  in 
the  University  eight  at  Cambridge,  Then  there  were 
roars  of  applause,  and  he  heard  quite  distinctly  the  people 
below  saying — "he  is  quite  right,  we  always  remember 
it."  He  was  quite  emu  when  he  came  to  the  end;  his 
voice  taking  that  grave  tone  I  like  so  much  when  he  said 
"good-bye."  One  heard  every  word.  He  was  much 
cheered  when  he  finished.  The  Lady  Mayoress  came 
and  shook  hands  with  me  and  asked  me  if  I  wasn't  proud 
of  my  husband.  Some  of  the  speeches  were  charming — 
the  Speaker's  particularly ;  Lord  Lome  also  made  a  very 
pretty  little  speech,  and  Rustem  (Turk),  who  answered 
the  toast  for  the  "Corps  Diplomatique,"  made  a  very 
good  speech.  I  can't  remember  all  the  names  and  all  the 
speeches,  but  it  was  a  most  brilliant  assembly,  and  as 
Countess  Deym  said  to  me,  a  wonderful  tribute  to  W.  As 


1893]   COMPLIMENTS  AND  GOOD  WISHES    3^7 

soon  as  the  speeches  were  over  we  all  went  down  to  the 
great  hall,  where  I  had  a  perfect  defile  of  compliments 
and  regrets,  Lord  Lome  again  repeating  his  words  "that 
W.'s  departure  was  a  national  calamity."  All  had  some- 
thing friendly  to  say — the  two  Law  Lords,  Judge  Bowen 
and  Sir  Francis  Jeune,  most  sympathetic.  S.  too  told 
me  I  should  be  much  pleased — he  had  never  seen  such  a 
demonstration  in  England  for  a  foreigner.  Of  course 
some  of  the  young  men  came  in  to  the  Embassy  to  talk 
the  dinner  over,  and  gave  their  impressions.  They  were 
all  much  pleased.  W.  certainly  was,  and  said  he  felt 
quite  emu  when  he  saw  all  the  faces  turned  to  him 
and  knew  that  every  word  he  said  would  tell — also  he 
knew  quite  well  that  his  reference  to  the  boat-race  would 
appeal  much  more  to  the  general  public  than  any  expres- 
sions of  good  feeling  toward  England.  He  hasn't  always 
had  an  easy  time  with  his  English  name  and  his  English 
education.  Of  course  it  has  been  very  useful  to  him 
here,  as  he  has  been  thrown  with  all  sorts  of  people,  and 
could  understand  the  English  point  of  view,  but  in 
France  they  were  always  afraid  he  was  too  English.  I 
think  when  he  has  gone  they  will  realise  at  home  what 
good  work  he  has  done  here  because  he  understands  them. 

French  Embassy,  London, 
March  8,  1893. 

W.  and  I  went  together  to  the  Mansion  House,  Tues- 
day, to  pay  a  farewell  visit  to  the  Lady  Mayoress,  who 
was  receiving  formally  with  music,  tea,  and  quantities  of 
people.  The  Lord  Mayor  appeared  too  when  he  heard 
we  were  there,  and  was  quite  pleased  when  W.  said  how 
gratified  and  touched  he  had  been  by  the  banquet  and 
the  universal  expression  of  regret  at  his  departure.  The 
Lord  Mayor  said  to  him,  "You  can't  find  any  warmer 


368    LETTERS  OF  A  DIPLOMAT'S  WIFE  [Mar. 

friends,  Ambassador,  in  France  than  those  you  are  leav- 
ing here,  but  I  quite  understand  that  a  man  can't  Hve 
long  out  of  his  own  country."  We  had  just  time  to  get 
back  to  the  Embassy,  dress,  and  start  for  Windsor,  where 
we  dined :  our  last  stay  in  the  yellow  rooms.  The  din- 
ner was  almost  entirely  Royal — the  Empress  Frederick, 
Prince  and  Princess  Christian,  Prince  and  Princess 
Henry  of  Battenberg,  Duchess  of  Connaught,  del  Mazo, 
the  Spanish  Ambassador,  I  the  only  other  lady.  The 
cercle  was  not  long — I  thought  the  Queen  looked  tired. 
She  sat  down  at  once ;  said  she  wouldn't  say  good-bye,  as 
she  hoped  to  see  me  once  more  at  Buckingham  Palace. 
She  said  at  her  age  she  rather  dreaded  saying  good-bye, 
also  seeing  new  faces,  and  she  was  very  sorry  we  were 
going.  *'Who  comes  to  replace  you  ?"  I  said  I  thought 
nothing  was  yet  decided.  I  talked  some  time  to  the  other 
Princesses  after  the  Queen  had  congedied  me.  The  Em- 
press was  as  usual  charming,  and  said,  "I  am  afraid  we 
sha'n't  meet  again  often,  Mdme.  Waddington,  you  won't 
cross  to  Berlin,  and  I  can't  go  to  Paris,  but  that  isn't  my 
fault.  I  think  we  shall  have  to  meet  in  Italy,  where  I 
first  had  the  pleasure  of  seeing  you."  The  end  of  the 
evening  we  spent  as  usual  in  the  drawing-room  with  the 
"household."  I  had  quite  a  talk  with  Prince  Henry, 
who  is  very  good-looking  and  attractive.  We  left  the 
drawing-room  about  eleven — W.  going  as  usual  to 
smoke,  and  I  to  my  rooms.  I  sat  some  time  in  front  of 
the  fire  in  the  beautiful  little  yellow  drawing-room  won- 
dering if  I  ever  should  see  it  again,  and  going  back  to 
our  first  Windsor  visit,  when  all  was  so  new  and  strange 
to  me.  I  wonder  where  we  shall  be  this  time  next  year, 
and  if  we  shall  settle  down  easily  to  our  quiet  life  in 
France.  W.  came  in  rather  late  from  the  smoking-room : 
he  said  all  the  men  were  so  nice  to  him,  and  seemed  really 


1893]  LAST    VISIT   TO    WINDSOR  3^9 

sorry  he  was  going;  also  were  very  anxious  to  know  if 
he  wasn't  sorry  himself. 

This  morning  (Wednesday)  it  was  beautiful.  I 
breakfasted  as  usual  in  my  rooms  and  sat  some  time  in 
the  deep  window  recess  watching  all  the  people  coming 
and  going.  There  is  always  so  much  life  about  Windsor 
when  the  Queen  is  there.  About  lo  Colonel  Byng  came 
to  take  us  to  the  Chapel  to  see  the  sarcophagus  of  Prince 
Eddie,  which  is  enormous  and  has  rather  too  much 
colour — almost  gaudy.  I  went  with  Hilda  the  other  day 
to  Gilbert's  studio  to  see  the  monument  he  is  making, 
and  which  I  liked.  It  is  very  elaborate  and  complicated, 
but  the  sleeping  figure  good:  so  reposeful  and  young; 
the  long  straight  limbs.  One  quite  realised  a  young  life 
cut  short.  Gilbert  is  clever  and  interesting,  and  begged 
us  to  criticise  freely. 

We  got  home  about  12  and  I  took  a  short  turn  in  the 
Park  before  breakfast,  which  was  full  as  usual  when  the 
Queen  passes.  She  came  this  afternoon  for  two  Draw- 
ing-rooms.    I  shall  do  my  last  to-morrow — I  sha'n't  go 

to  the  second. 

French  Embassy, 
March  10,  1893. 

I  am  doing  all  my  last  things.  I  went  to  the  Drawing- 
room  yesterday  (our  last).  Countess  Spencer  presented 
the  ladies,  and  looked  very  stately  and  handsome  in 
black,  with  splendid  jewels.  The  Queen  didn't  stay  very 
long,  but  looked  less  tired,  I  thought,  than  the  other  night 
at  Windsor.  I  said  good-bye  to  a  great  many  people 
whom  I  sha'n't  see  again.  At  this  season  plenty  of  people 
are  still  in  the  country,  and  only  come  up  for  a  day  or  two 
for  Drawing-rooms,  theatres,  etc.  Teesdale  and  I  had 
quiet  an  affectionate  parting.  For  so  long  now  we  have 
made  our  entree  together  into  the  Throne  Room:  he 


370    LETTERS   OF  A  DIPLOMAT'S  WIEE  [Mar 

holding  my  hand  and  both  of  us  making  a  deep  bow  and 
curtsey  at  the  door,  that  we  have  become  quite  hke 
puppets. 

This  afternoon  I  have  had  my  farewell  audience  from 
the  Queen  at  Buckingham  Palace  at  4  o'clock.  I  wore 
as  usual  the  blue  velvet,  wdiich  will  walk  about  alone 
soon,  as  it  has  done  all  the  ceremonies  lately ;  my  pearls, 
and  a  creme  velvet  bonnet  with  light  blue  feathers.  I 
went  in  the  ordinary  open  carriage  (not  gala).  The 
gala  carriage  with  the  powdered  wigs,  big  footmen, 
canes,  etc.,  went  out  yesterday  for  the  last  time  to  the 
Drawing-room.  I  had  some  difficulty  in  getting  into 
the  court-yard,  which  was  filled  with  carriages,  luggage- 
vans,  soldiers,  etc.,  as  the  Queen  was  leaving  this  after- 
noon for  Windsor.  I  was  sent  from  one  entrance  to 
another,  in  spite  of  the  tricolour  cockade,  and  finally 
drew  up  at  a  side-door  (where  a  shabby  little  victoria 
was  standing).  A  man  in  ordinary  black  livery  ap- 
peared, and  after  a  short  parley  (in  which  I  intervened 
myself,  saying  that  I  was  the  Erench  Ambassadress  and 
had  an  audience  with  the  Queen)  he  showed  me  into  a 
room  on  the  ground  floor.  I  waited  about  15  minutes 
(it  was  5  minutes  to  4  when  I  arrived)  and  then  Lady 
Southampton,  Lady  in  Waiting,  appeared,  with  many 
apologies  for  being  late — she  didn't  think  I  would  come 
so  soon  (and  I  was  a  little  afraid  of  being  late,  they  kept 
me  so  long  in  the  court-yard).  We  went  upstairs  to  a 
small  drawing-room  looking  out  on  the  court-yard,  and 
in  about  10  minutes  the  same  servant  in  black  appeared, 
saying,  "The  Queen  is  ready  to  receive  the  Erench  Am- 
bassadress." Lady  Southampton  said  she  couldn't  come, 
as  the  Queen  wished  to  see  me  alone,  so  I  followed  the 
servant  down  a  long  corridor — he  stopped  at  a  door, 
knocked,  a  voice  said  "come  in,"  and  I  found  myself  in 


i893]  A    FAREWELL    AUDIENCE  371 

the  Royal  presence.  It  was  a  small,  ordinary  room, 
rather  like  a  sort  of  waiting-room,  no  traces  of  habi- 
tation, nothing  pretty  or  interesting.  The  Queen  was 
standing,  very  simply  dressed  in  black  (her  travelling 
dress  she  said,  she  was  starting  at  once  for  Windsor) 
before  a  writing-table  which  was  in  the  middle  of 
the  room,  covered  with  books  and  papers.  She  was 
most  kind,  made  me  sit  down  on  the  sofa  next  to  her, 
and  said  she  was  afraid  she  had  kept  me  waiting,  but 
that  she  had  been  kept  by  a  visit  from  Mr.  Gladstone — 
she  then  paused  a  moment,  so  I  made  a  perfectly  banal 
remark,  "what  a  wonderful  man,  such  an  extraordinary 
intelligence,"  to  which  she  replied,  ''He  is  very  deaf." 
She  expressed  great  regret  at  our  departure,  and  hoped 
we  were  sorry  to  leave  England  and  all  our  friends,  but 
after  all  Paris  was  not  very  far  off,  and  she  hoped  she 
should  see  me  again.  She  was  sure  M.  Waddington 
would  find  plenty  to  do  when  he  got  back — would  he 
continue  his  literary  work?  I  said  he  would  certainly 
have  plenty  to  do,  as  he  was  Senator  and  Membre  de 
rinstitut,  but  that  we  should  both  miss  the  Embassy  life 
and  the  varied  interests  it  brought.  She  repeated  that  she 
hoped  to  see  me  again,  so  I  asked  if  ever  I  came  back  to 
England  might  I  write  to  one  of  her  ladies,  and  ask  if  I 
could  be  received.  "Pray  do,  and  I  shall  not  say  good- 
bye, but  au  revoir."  We  talked  about  15  minutes  about 
all  sorts  of  things — some  of  our  colleagues — our  succes- 
sor, etc.  She  asked  again  who  was  coming  to  London, 
and  said,  "My  last  two  Ambassadors  to  France  were  ex- 
Viceroys."  It  seemed  to  me  that  she  said  it  on  purpose, 
and  that  she  wanted  France  to  send  one  of  her  best  men 
to  St.  James's.  I  repeated  the  remark  to  my  husband, 
and  the  chancellerie.  It  is  quite  true.  The  present  Brit- 
ish  Ambassador,   Lord  Dufferin^  is  certainly   the  first 


372    LETTERS  OF  A  DIPLOMAT'S  WIFE  [Mar. 

diplomatist  they  have.  He  has  had  every  distinguished 
post  England  can  offer — Ambassador  to  St.  Petersburg 
and  Rome,  Governor  of  Canada,  and  Viceroy  of  India, 
and  has  played  a  great  part.  His  predecessor,  Lord 
Lytton,  was  also  Viceroy  of  India,  and  very  distin- 
guished, though  in  a  different  way  from  Lord  Dufferin. 
I  rather  fancy  that  Montebello  would  be  an  acceptable 
appointment.  He  knows  English  well,  has  English  rela- 
tions, and  I  should  think  would  like  the  post,  but  I  have 
really  no  idea.  Some  of  the  papers  say  that  Ribot  wants 
the  place,  but  I  think  he  prefers  home  politics  and  would 
not  care  to  leave  France;  however,  I  could  not  tell  the 
Queen  anything  definite.  She  kissed  me  at  parting,  and 
gave  me  her  photograph,  signed,  in  a  handsome  silver 
frame — then  half  turned  her  back,  moving  to  a  door  on 
the  other  side  of  the  room,  so  that  I  could  get  out  easily 
and  not  altogether  a  reculons,  which  would  have  been 
awkward  to  open  the  door.  I  tucked  my  parcel  under 
my  arm,  opened  the  door  myself  (a  thing  I  don't  often 
do  in  these  days,  except  my  bedroom  door)  and  found 
myself  again  in  the  long  corridor.  My  audience  was 
over,  and  I  daresay  I  shall  never  see  the  Queen  again. 
She  was  unfailing  to  us  both  from  the  first  moment,  al- 
ways welcomed  us  with  the  same  smile,  was  always  in- 
clined to  talk  about  anything  and  to  understand  and 
smooth  over  any  little  difficulty  or  misunderstanding.  I 
think  she  is  a  wonderful  woman  and  a  wonderful  Queen. 
In  her  long  life  she  must  have  had  many  difficult  ques- 
tions and  responsibilities,  and  certainly  England  has  not 
suffered  under  her  rule.  I  met  Lady  S.  in  the  corridor, 
who  came  downstairs  with  me,  and  said  she  was  quite 
sure  the  Queen  meant  it  when  she  said  she  would  like 
to  see  me  again,  that  she  never  said  anything  she  didn't 
mean. 


1893]  A    SOUVENIR  373 

I  found  Hilda  and  one  or  two  friends  when  I  got  home 
who  told  me  that  the  English  ladies,  headed  by  Ladies 
Salisbury  and  Spencer,  representing  the  two  parties, 
Conservative  and  Liberal,  were  going  to  give  me  a  sou- 
venir (in  memory  of  my  ten  years  in  London),  a  jewel 
of  some  kind.  I  was  rather  pleased.  The  last  days  of 
adieux  are  rather  melancholy.  I  shall  be  glad  when  they 
are  over.  I  forgot  to  say  that  Wednesday  I  had  a  mes- 
sage about  3  o'clock  from  the  Princess  Beatrice,  saying 
she  and  Prince  Henry  of  Battenberg  would  come  about 
5  and  ask  me  for  a  cup  of  tea.  The  notice  was  so  short 
that  I  hadn't  time  to  ask  anyone  except  Hilda,  who  hap- 
pened in,  and  some  of  the  secretaries.  They  came  alone 
and  were  most  friendly — said  they  had  not  given  me  any 
more  time  on  purpose,  as  they  didn't  want  a  party,  but 
merely  to  see  us.  They  wxre  as  easy  and  pleasant  as 
possible,  she  talking  much  more  than  she  ever  does  in 
the  grand  monde.  I  told  her  I  hoped  she  would  let  me 
know  if  ever  she  came  to  Paris.  She  said.  *'0h,  yes — 
and  we  will  do  a  lively  play  together." 


To  H.  L.  K. 

Albert  Gate, 
Tuesday,  March  14,  1893. 
I  went  this  afternoon  with  Mdme.  de  la  Villestreux 
to  the  French  bazaar  at  Kensington  Town  Hall  to  receive 
Princess  Mary,  who  opened  it  (and  very  much  better 
than  I  did  the  day  I  performed  the  same  thing) .  Mdme. 
de  Bylandt,  de  Bille,  Mdme.  du  Poutel  de  la  Harpe  were 
all  there  waiting  at  the  foot  of  the  stairs.  Princess  Mary 
was  easy  and  charming,  and  I  really  think  was  not  bored. 
She  had  all  the  ladies  presented  to  her,  talked  to  them  all, 
knew  apparently  all  their  relations,  young  and  old,  com- 


374    LETTERS  OF  A  DIPLOMAT'S  WIFE  [Mar. 

plimented  them  on  the  arrangement  of  their  stalls,  said 
the  various  objects  made  and  presented  by  the  Ladies' 
Art  Association  were  very  artistic  and  useful  (I  wish 
you  could  have  seen  them — our  pincushions  at  the  Vente 
des  Diaconnesses  were  things  of  beauty  next  to  them), 
took  her  tea,  said  the  cake  was  so  good,  and  delighted 
everybody.  When  I  see  how  easy  it  is  for  Royalties  to 
win  golden  opinions  with  a  few  gracious  words  and  a 
smile,  I  wonder  at  the  stiff,  stand-off  manner  some  of 
them  adopt.  Princess  May  looked  very  slight  and  pretty, 
and  is  always  well  dressed.  I  again  wore  the  blue  velvet, 
which  will  fall  off  me  soon,  but  this  time  I  changed  the 
bonnet  and  wore  a  black  jet  one  with  a  red  rose,  and  it 
wasn't  very  pretty. 

March  i6,  1893. 
We  had  a  last  musical  afternoon  to-day  at  Marie  Hum- 
licher's :  8  hands,  two  pianos,  she  directing  and  the  per- 
formers being  Ctesse.  de  Bylandt,  Mile,  de  Staal,  Hilda 
and  I.  We  played  Mozart  and  Schumann,  really  very 
well.  Mile.  Humlicher  has  a  nice  big  room  over  a  cou- 
touriere  on  Fulham  Road.  She  always  gives  us  tea  after 
the  music,  which  is  generally  brought  up  by  a  tidy  little 
English  maid  with  her  cap  and  apron.  She  was  astound- 
ed this  afternoon  when  the  tea  was  brought  in  by  a  most 
elegant  young  person,  dressed  in  the  latest  fashion,  and 
attended  by  a  second,  also  most  stylish — however,  as  the 
tea  was  all  right  she  did  not  say  anything ;  neither  did  I, 
but  I  waited  a  moment  after  the  other  ladies  had  gone 
and  she  had  a  mysterious  conversation  on  the  stairs  and 
came  in  highly  amused.  It  seems  the  two  elegant  ladies 
were  the  dressmaker  and  her  assistant.  When  they  saw 
all  these  ambassadorial  equipages  at  their  door — enor- 
mous powdered  footmen,  wigs,  cockades,  etc.,  also  Hil- 


I893J  THE    PRESENTATION  375 

da's  beautiful  carriage  (Deichmann  has  splendid  horses 
always  and  everything  perfectly  well  turned  out),  their 
curiosity  got  the  better  of  them  and  they  felt  they  must 
see  the  swells ;  so  they  interviewed  the  maid,  installed  her 
in  their  rooms  to  attend  to  any  customer  who  might 
come,  got  into  their  swell  garments,  and  brought  up  the 
tea.  Wasn't  it  funny?  Luckily  we  were  all  rather  ele- 
gant. I  had  been  paying  some  farewell  visits,  and  it  so 
happened  that  we  were  all  up  to  the  mark.  I  have  some- 
times gone  to  Mile.  Humlicher's  on  foot  in  a  cloth  dress, 
as  it  is  not  far  from  the  Embassy.  I  am  sorry  to  have 
done  with  those  afternoons — Mile,  Humlicher  plays 
beautifully — she  is  a  pupil  of  Rubinstein's  and  has  a  real 
artistic  nature. 

Friday,  March  17th. 
I  had  a  line  from  Lady  Salisbury  yesterday,  asking  if 
to-day  at  5  would  suit  me  to  receive  the  ladies  and  my 
present.  I  accepted  of  course,  asking  her  about  how 
many  would  come.  She  answered,  between  50  and  60, 
she  thought.  As  the  moment  drew  near  I  got  rather 
nervous,  for  W.  said  they  would  certainly  make  me  a 
little  speech  and  that  I  would  have  to  reply,  and  he  sug- 
gested thinking  it  over;  but  that  I  refused  and  said  I 
must  trust  to  the  inspiration  of  the  moment.  I  wore  my 
purple  satin.  The  ladies  arrived  very  punctually.  There 
were  one  or  two  men,  all  the  personnel,  including  W., 
and  one  or  two  of  my  friends,  Sir  George  Arthur, 
Gevers,  etc.  Lady  Salisbury  asked  me  where  I  would 
stand,  so  I  put  myself  in  the  middle  of  the  big  drawing- 
room,  under  the  chandelier.  Lady  Salisbury  was  spokes- 
woman, flanked  on  one  side  by  Lady  Spencer,  the  other 
by  Mrs.  Gladstone ;  all  the  other  ladies,  including  Ladies 
Londonderry,    Cadogan,    Shrewsbury,    Harcourt,    etc., 


376    LETTERS  OF  A  DIPLOMAT'S  WIFE  [Mar. 

foitning  a  circle  round  me.  Lady  Salisbury  made  a  very 
pretty  little  speech,  beginning — "Madame  Waddington, 
Ambassadress,"  and  saying  they  hoped  I  would  some- 
times think  of  England  and  my  English  friends,  that  I 
had  been  there  so  long  that  I  seemed  one  of  themselves, 
etc.,  and  then  handed  me  a  blue  velvet  etui.  I  don't 
know  exactly  what  I  replied  (I  was  rather  emue  and  W. 
just  opposite  to  me  was  looking  at  me  hard),  but  evi- 
dently only  a  few  words,  to  say  that  the  ten  years  I  had 
spent  in  London  had  been  very  happy  ones,  that  France 
wasn't  very  far  away,  and  that  I  hoped  to  come  back 
often — but  I  think  they  understood  that  I  was  pleased 
and  grateful  for  the  present,  and  above  all  with  the 
feeling  that  prompted  it.  The  jewel  is  very  handsome, 
a  circle  of  large,  beautiful  white  diamonds  with  a  large 
pearl  in  the  centre  and  another  as  pendant.  It  was  passed 
around  the  company  and  they  all  found  it  very  hand- 
some. We  had  tea  in  the  blue  room,  and  I  talked  to  them 
all  and  said  what  was  perfectly  true,  that  they  had  been 
ten  perfectly  happy  years  we  had  spent  in  London,  and 
ten  years  is  a  good  piece  out  of  one's  life.  They  left  me 
a  book  with  the  names  of  all  the  ''signataires."  W.  was 
much  pleased,  and  I  fancy  it  was  rather  an  unusual 
demonstration.  One  of  these  days,  when  Francis's  wife 
wxars  it,  it  will  be  a  historic  jewel.  After  all  the  com- 
pany had  gone  the  secretaries  stayed  on  a  little  while. 
I  think  they  are  all  sorry  we  are  going,  and  they  certainly 
regret  W.  as  a  chief.  They  all  say  he  is  so  absolutely 
just. 

Albert  Gate, 
Monday,  March  27,  1893. 

We  walked  about  in  the  Row  this  morning.     It  was 
cold  and  raw,  not  many  people.    We  dined  at  the  Italian 


»893l  DINNERS  AND   TEAS  377 

Embassy  in  the  evening  with  Tornielli.  The  Comtesse 
IS  at  Naples  with  her  niece,  the  young  Marquise  Pauluc- 
ci,  who  has  just  had  a  fine  boy.  The  dinner  was  small, 
mostly  colleagues.  We  sat  after  dinner  in  the  red  draw- 
ing-room, which  is  very  picturesque — a  fine  old  carved 
chimney,  enormous,  and  beautiful  old  red  silk  hangings 
just  faded  enough  to  give  an  old-world  look.  He  has 
brought  quantities  of  things  from  his  palace  in  Italy. 
Lincoln  was  there.  He  knows  w^ho  his  successor  is — 
Mr.  Bayard.     We  don't  know  ours. 

Albert  Gate, 
March  29,  1893. 

Princess  Mary  and  Princess  May  had  promised  to 
come  once  to  tea  before  I  left  and  they  named  to-day. 
I  asked  very  few  people — Duchess  of  St.  Albans,  Ladies 
Arran,  Randolph  Churchill,  Hilda,  and  some  men,  Deym, 
Tornielli,  Mensdorff,  George  Arthur,  etc.  Lady  Ran- 
dolph is  very  musical,  plays  extremely  well  and  is  very 
kind  to  all  the  artists.  I  asked  Mile.  Jansen  (Swedish), 
who  sang  quite  beautifully — a  fine  voice,  such  a  ring  in 
it.  She  is  going  to  America,  and  I  am  sure  she  will  have 
a  great  success.  Both  Princesses  were  as  cordial  and 
nice  as  possible,  said  it  would  seem  strange  not  to  see 
me  about  everywhere  any  more.  "Of  course  you  will 
come  back  to  London,"  Princess  Mary  said;  "but  it  can 
never  be  the  same  thing — you  will  be  a  visitor ;  now  you 
are  living  your  life  with  us,  and  London  is  your  home." 
Princess  May  looked  very  pretty,  and  so  bright  that  I 
fancy  her  engagement  is  settled — everyone  seems  to 
think  so.  I  didn't  say  anything  to  her,  but  when  I  parted 
from  Princess  Mary  at  the  foot  of  the  stairs  I  couldn't 
help  saying  that  I  heard  that  very  soon  all  her  friends 
would  be  able  to  congratulate  her,  and  that  as  I  was 


378    LETTERS  OF  A  DIPLOMAT'S  WIFE  IMar. 

going  I  would  like  to  think  that  very  happy  days  were 
before  her.  She  said  "I  hope  so — I  think  so,"  and  kissed 
me.  At  the  door  she  turned  and  said,  "I  wonder  when  I 
shall  have  tea  and  music  again  in  these  rooms.  I  shall 
always  think  with  pleasure  of  the  French  Embassy." 
We  had  a  farewell  dinner  at  our  cousin's,  Mrs.  Mostyn's. 
Lord  Herschell  was  on  one  side  of  me  and  talked  a  great 
deal  about  the  banquet  at  the  Mansion  House.  He  said 
W.'s  English  was  so  good,  too  classical  if  anything;  said 
he  would  like  very  much  to  hear  him  speak  in  French 
and  at  the  Tribune.  He  couldn't  imagine  such  a  quiet 
speech  and  manner  in  the  fiery  French  Chamber.  I  told 
him  the  Senate  was  much  more  sedate  than  the  Chamber 
(consequently  much  less  amusing)  and  that  he  would 
often  hear  a  perfectly  quiet  academic  speech  there. 

French  Embassy, 
Good  Friday,  March  31,  1893. 

We  went  to  the  afternoon  service  at  St.  Paul's,  where 
the  anthem  was  beautiful  There  were  a  great  many 
people,  a  great  many  men  following  the  service,  and  a 
great  many  also  walking  about  looking  at  the  tombs  and 
tablets. 

We  really  have  not  a  moment  these  last  days.  I  shall 
go  over  a  little  before  W.,  about  the  12th  of  next  month. 
We  have  had  all  sorts  of  leave-takings.  The  Empress 
Frederick  received  us  the  other  day — always  charming 
and  interesting,  but  still  talking  of  her  visit  to  Paris, 
which  she  can't  get  over.  She  said  to  me,  "I  would  have 
liked  so  much  to  see  you  in  Paris,  in  your  own  house. 
M.  Waddington  promised  me  a  dinner  with  all  your 
clever  men."  "I  should  have  been  much  pleased  and 
honoured,  Majeste;  perhaps  a  little  later  he  may  have 
that  pleasure — but  I'm  afraid -" 


1893]  EASTER    SUNDAY  379 

We  had  all  a  pleasant  visit  to  Princess  Louise  at  Ken- 
sington, who  said  she  would  certainly  let  us  know  when 
she  came  to  Paris — I  think  she  often  comes.  We  went 
to  White  Lodge,  of  course,  where  they  all  look  so 
happy  I  can't  help  thinking  that  the  marriage  is  ar- 
ranged. We  also  went,  for  a  farewell  cup  of  tea,  to 
Alma  Tadema,  who  receives  once  a  week  in  his  beauti- 
ful studio.  He  is  going  to  send  me  an  engraving  of  one 
of  his  lovely  Greek  pictures.  His  atelier  is  most  pict- 
uresque and  full  of  interesting  things.  He  has  a  set  of 
panels  painted  by  all  his  artist  friends  which  are  gems. 
He  is  very  attractive  himself — so  simple.  There  were 
a  good  many  people  there. 

We  had  a  dinner  and  party  (music)  last  week  at  Lady 
Wimborne's.  Their  entertainments  are  always  success- 
ful. The  house  (Hamilton  House)  is  one  of  the  best  in 
London.  Lord  B.,  a  great  friend  of  W.'s,  took  me  to 
get  an  ice  at  the  buffet,  and  was  deploring  W.'s  departure. 
"Such  a  pity  that  Waddington  had  gone  back  to  France 
after  graduating  so  brilliantly  at  Cambridge.  He  would 
certainly  have  made  the  same  career  in  England,  and 
would  have  been  Premier  in  England,  so  much  better 
than  being  Premier  in  France" — a  truly  British  senti- 
ment (what  makes  their  strength,  perhaps),  but  naif. 


To  G.  K.  S. 

Albert  Gate, 
Easter  Sunday,  April  2,  1893. 

My  last  Easter  in  London,  a  beautiful  bright  day. 
Henrietta,  Francis,  and  I  walked  down  to  Westminster 
Abbey  in  the  morning.  It  was  crowded,  as  it  always  is 
— Easter  is  such  a  splendid  service — the  fine  old  Easter 
hymn  always   the  same,   with  the   Hallelujah   echoing 


380    LETTERS  OF  A  DIPLOMAT'S  WIFE  [April 

through  the  vaults  and  arches.  We  had  a  small  dinner 
in  the  evening — Jusserand  (who  had  come  back  to  see 
his  friends,  of  whom  he  has  thousands  here),  the  La 
Villestreux,  the  personnel,  and  a  few  young  people  in  the 
evening.  I  wore  my  jewel,  which  they  all  found  very 
handsome, 

French  Embassy, 
April  9th. 

Henrietta,  Francis,  and  I  went  to  the  Temple  Church 
this  morning.  It  is  a  grand  old  place,  right  in  the  heart 
of  London.  We  were  met  at  the  door  by  one  of  the 
"benchers,"  w^ho  gave  us  very  good  places  and  took  us 
all  over  the  church  and  various  halls  after  service.  Fran- 
cis had  never  been  there  and  w^as  wildly  interested,  par- 
ticularly in  the  tombs  of  the  old  Crusaders  with  their 
crossed  legs.  We  lunched  wnth  quite  a  party  of  benchers 
and  their  wives  in  the  "parlement"  room,  a  charming 
room  looking  out  on  the  river  and  across  a  garden  filled 
with  roses,  streams  of  sunlight  pouring  in  at  all  the  win- 
dows. They  told  us  the  War  of  the  Roses,  white  and 
red,  was  planned  in  those  gardens,  and  asked  us  if  we 
remembered  the  old  lines: 

"  If  this  red  rose  offend  thy  sight, 
It  in  thy  bosom  wear  ; 
'Twill  blush  to  find  itself  less  white 
And  turn  Lancastrian  there. " 

Yesterday  we  had  a  handsome  "Diner  d'Adieu"  at  the 
Turkish  Embassy,  principally  colleagvies.  Lincoln  was 
there — he  too  is  going,  his  wife  left  yesterday.  They 
have  raised  the  United  States  Legation  here  to  an  Em- 
bassy, and  I  hope  they  will  raise  the  salaries.  No  one 
is  more  asked  out  or  has  a  better  position  here  than  the 


I893J  DEPARTURE    FROM    LONDON  381 

United  States  Minister.  I  always  remember  the  remark 
of  one  of  our  colleagues,  Baron  Solvyns,  who  had  been 
long  in  London  and  knew  it  well.  We  w^ere  talking  one 
day  about  the  Corps  Diplomatique,  small  Powers,  Em- 
bassies, etc.,  and  were  discussing  who  was  the  most  im- 
portant Ambassador  in  London.  Solvyns  said,  "There 
,is  no  doubt  about  it,  the  American  Minister  is  the  first 
Ambassador  in  London." 

French  Embassy, 
April  12,  1893. 

My  last  letter  from  Albert  Gate,  Dear.  Yesterday  all 
our  small  things,  silver,  house  linen,  etc.,  departed.  The 
packing  seemed  well  done.  We  put  everything  that  was 
to  go  in  the  ballroom  (little  Dresden  figures,  glasses,  sil- 
ver ornaments),  nothing  packed,  all  spread  out,  on  tables. 
A  man  came  and  made  an  inventory,  packs  everything 
in  a  great  van  that  comes  to  the  door  and  arrives  at  our 
door  in  the  Rue  Dumont  d'Urville,  where  equally  every- 
thing is  taken  out  and  unpacked.  He  says  nothing  will 
be  broken.  It  is  certainly  a  very  easy  way  of  moving, 
and  I  shall  be  anxious  to  see  how  they  arrive.  The 
Florians  had  their  furniture  taken  over  like  that,  and  I 
think  one  table  was  a  little  demantibulee.  We  leave  to- 
morrow ;  we  being  Henrietta  and  L  W.  stays  some  little 
time  still.  I  take  over  all  the  French  servants,  both 
coachmen,  and  my  victoria  and  horses,  as  I  must  settle 
myself  for  the  spring  in  the  Paris  house.  W.  sends  over 
one  of  the  secretaries,  M.  Lecomte,  with  us,  and  the  col- 
leagues are  all  coming  to  the  station  to  say  good-bye. 
The  rooms  look  melancholy  to-night,  so  many  things 
gone;  piano  of  course  and  all  books  and  small  tables, 
screens,  etc. — all  the  gros  mobilier  belongs  to  the  Em- 
bassy.    We  sat  some  time  talking,  just  we  three:  W., 


382    LETTERS  OF  A  DIPLOMAT'S  WIFE  [April 

Henrietta,  and  I,  after  dinner.  W.  has  just  been  named 
one  of  the  Directeurs  du  Canal  de  Suez.  I  think  he  will 
find  plenty  of  occupation  when  he  gets  back. 

Paris,  31,  Rue  Dumont  d'Urville, 
April  16,  1893. 

Here  I  am,  Dear,  back  in  my  little  salon,  writing  at 
my  table  in  the  corner  by  the  window,  and  rather  dis- 
tracted by  the  quantities  of  carriages  passing.  There 
is  so  much  more  movement  in  the  street  than  when  we 
left  ten  years  ago,  and  I  have  got  accustomed  to  such  a 
quiet  bedroom  and  salon.  All  our  living  rooms  (except 
the  dining-room)  at  Albert  Gate  gave  on  the  Park,  so 
we  never  heard  the  rattle  and  noise  of  carriages  over 
pavements,  and  as  no  cabs  nor  camions  are  allowed  in 
the  Park  the  passing  never  disturbed  us.  We  came  over 
very  comfortably  on  Thursday.  All  our  colleagues  were 
at  the  station  to  see  us  off,  and  I  think  they  are  sorry 
to  say  good-bye.  We  found  our  voiture-salon  filled  with 
flowers.  Sir  George  Arthur  and  S.  came  over  with  us. 
It  was  very  cold  and  very  rough.  All  the  men  disap- 
peared at  once,  but  Henrietta  and  I  remained  on  deck 
and  were  quite  happy,  well  wrapped  up  with  rugs,  and 
tarpaulins  stretched  in  front  of  us  to  keep  out  the  wet. 
Lecomte  had  arranged  our  lunch  in  the  private  room  of 
the  buffet  at  Calais  (where  W.  and  I  always  breakfasted 
when  we  came  over)  and  it  was  comfortable  to  see  a 
bright  fire.  I  am  ashamed  to  say  that  the  ladies  of  the 
party  eat  a  very  good  breakfast.  The  men  looked  rather 
white,  and  certainly  were  not  good  "fourchettes"  at 
that  meal.  At  Dover  we  had  found  Lord  William  Sey- 
mour in  uniform,  with  his  aide-de-camp,  wife  and  daugh- 
ter waiting  for  us.  He  took  me  on  the  boat,  and  to  the 
cabin,  where  there  were  more  flowers,  and  stayed  until 


1893]  ARRIVAL    IN    PARIS  383 

the  last  moment,  giving  the  captain  all  manner  of  instruc- 
tions for  my  comfort,  and  particularly  to  see  that  my 
cabin  was  warm,  with  plenty  of  rugs,  etc.  I  never  went 
near  it.  I  think  Adelaide  and  Bonny  had  a  very  com- 
fortable time  there.  Francis  met  us  at  the  Gare  du  Nord, 
much  pleased  to  have  us  back.  We  went  to  Henrietta's 
to  dine.  I  was  glad  to  come  home  directly  after  dinner 
and  go  to  bed.  Well,  Dear,  there  is  one  chapter  of  my 
life  closed — I  wonder  what  the  future  reserves  for  us. 
I  shall  be  uncomfortable  for  a  few  days  until  my  van 
arrives.  It  left  the  same  day  we  did,  and  the  man  said 
it  would  take  a  week  to  bring  the  things  over,  but  I  shall 
not  expect  them  for  ten  days.  I  found  quantities  of  cards 
and  notes  here,  and  Louise  and  Henrietta  of  course  will 
give  me  dinner  or  anything  else  I  want  until  I  can  get 
quite  settled.  Hubert  got  over  only  to-day.  The  sea 
was  so  rough  he  wouldn't  cross  on  Thursday ;  he  waited 
a  day  at  Folkestone,  and  another  at  Boulogne,  to  rest  the 
horses  which  had  been  knocked  about.  W.  writes  that 
the  Embassy  seems  absolutely  empty.  Still  he  dines  out 
every  night  (at  the  club  when  he  hasn't  an  invitation) 
and  will  come  over  as  soon  as  he  can.  The  house  looks 
so  small  after  the  big  rooms  at  Albert  Gate,  and  the 
stable  and  little  cour  minute.  It  sounded  so  familiar  to 
hear  the  carriage  coming  in  under  the  voiite,  and  also 
the  street  cries.  I  daresay  in  a  few  days  I  shall  take 
up  my  ordinary  Paris  life,  and  London  will  seem  a 
dream — like  Moscow. 


M    LETTERS  OF  A  DIPLOMAT'S  WIFE   Uuly 

To  G.  K.  S. 

Bayreuth, 
Saturday,  July  31,  1897.* 

We  arrived  Thursday  evening  from  Nuremberg  in  a 
pouring  rain,  which  continued  all  day  Friday,  and  detest- 
able it  was — streets  crowded,  everybody's  umbrella  run- 
ning into  one  and  catching  in  your  veil  (really  twice  in 
mine),  mud  everywhere,  carriages  scarce  and  dear.  Our 
rooms  are  comfortable,  Mary  de  Bunsen  got  them  for 
us,  a  good-sized  salon  (with  a  piano),  three  bedrooms, 
and  two  maids'  rooms.  We  have  our  early  breakfast 
and  supper,  but  dine  out.  Our  experience  at  the  Sonne 
was  not  very  agreeable — a  long,  hot  dining-room,  quan- 
tities of  hungry  people  and  no  servants  to  speak  of.  I 
was  rather  interested  in  my  neighbour,  a  long,  thin 
American,  a  Western  man  from  Iowa  I  think,  a  school- 
master. He  told  me  he  had  been  saving  for  years  to  get 
money  enough  "to  come  across"  (as  he  said)  and  hear 
'Tarsifal."  He  had  taught  himself  German  in  the  even- 
ings when  his  class  was  finished.  The  man  was  in  such 
a  quiver  of  delighted  anticipation  that  it  was  a  pleasure 
to  see  him.  I  told  him  I  was  sure  he  would  not  be  dis- 
appointed, as  Van  Dyck  was  to  sing  'Tarsifal."  There 
were  quite  a  number  of  priests  at  table,  and  one  heard  a 
little  French,  but  the  talk  was  principally  German  and 
English.  We  got  up  to  the  theatre  easily  enough,  as 
carriages  were  going  backward  and  forward  all  the  time. 
The  opera,  "Parsifal,"  was  beautifully  given — Van  Dyck 
as  good  as  ever.  I  always  think  he  stands  so  wonder- 
fully in  that  scene  where  he  has  his  back  to  the  public 
and  is  absorbed  by  all  he  sees.  He  told  me  it  was  one 
of  his  most  difficult  parts.     We  had  great  difficulty  in 

•  M.  Waddington  died  in  1894.     Hence  the  interruption  in  the  series  of 
Madame  Waddington's  letters  from  1893  until  1897. 


1897]     WAGNER  OPERAS  AT  BAYREUTH      385 

getting  our  coffee  between  the  acts,  and  greater  still  in 
finding  our  carriage  at  the  end.  The  crowd,  and  scramble, 
and  mud  were  something  awful. 

Friday,  August  6th. 
We  are  leaving  this  afternoon,  having  had  an  enchant- 
ing week.   Monday,  Tuesday,  Wednesday,  Thursday,  the 
whole  Ring  beautifully  given.     All  the  music  is  racing 
through  my  brain,  from  the  lovely  wave  chorus  of  the 
swimming  Rhine  maidens  to  the  magnificent  end  of  the 
"Gotterdammerung"  with  all  the  different  motifs  worked 
in.    They  played  the  funeral  march  of  "Siegfried"  splen- 
didly.   It  is  a  curious  life  one  leads  here.     In  the  morn- 
ing everybody  walks  about  the  town— the  streets  are  nar- 
row and  it  is  amusing  to  be  hailed  from  windows  over 
small  shops,  grocers',  bakers',  watchmakers',  by  friends 
who  are  lodging  there.    About  3  a  sort  of  restless  excite- 
ment is  in  the  air  and  one  sees  a  long  procession  mount- 
ing the  hill  to  the  Opera  House,  everyone  absorbed  by 
the  one  idea.     There  are  quantities  of  people  we  know. 
I  didn't  go  and  see  Mdme.  Wagner  this  time,  as  Henri- 
etta and  Pauline  don't  know  her.     Her  evenings,  the  off 
night,    are   very   interesting.      One   sees  all   the  distin- 
guished people  of  any  kind  at  her  house,  all  the  artists, 
critics,  etc.     Of  course  no  one  ventures  to  criticise  the 
music — merely  the  execution. 

Meingeningen,  Biebrich, 
Sunday,  August  15,  1897. 
I  have  been  here  two  or  three  days  and  am  glad  to 
have  some  quiet  hours  in  the  garden  after  the  fatigue 
and  excitement  of  Bayreuth.  Four  Wagner  operas  in 
succession  is  a  strain  on  one's  brain  (not  that  I  wouldn't 
do  it  straight  over  again  this  week  if  I  could,  but  one 
wants  the  rest  between).     The  crowd  at  Bayreuth  the 


386    LETTERS  OF  A  DIPLOMArS  WIFE   [Aug. 

day  we  started  was  something  wonderful,  as  of  course 
everyone  leaves  after  their  serie — there  is  nothing  to  do 
or  see  in  the  town.  At  Nuremberg,  too,  the  scramble 
to  get  something  to  eat  was  funny,  as  there  were  two 
courants,  all  of  us  leaving  Bayreuth,  and  just  as  many 
more  arriving  to  take  our  places.  There  is  always  a 
crowd  at  the  Nuremberg  station,  though  they  have  mul- 
tiplied little  buffets  outside  the  regular  salles  d'attente 
with  coffee,  beer,  sausages,  etc.  We  were  late  all  along 
the  line,  and  again  there  was  such  a  crowd  at  the  big 
Frankfort  station  that  I  could  not  get  my  trunks  in  time 
to  take  the  first  train  for  Mosbach — however,  I  arrived 
finally  and  was  pleased  to  see  Heinrich's  broad,  good- 
humoured  face,  and  we  drove  at  once  to  the  house,  where 
Mary  was  waiting  for  me  with  supper.  We  talked  a 
little,  but  even  that  took  us  on  to  2  o'clock,  as  it  was 
after  midnight  when  I  arrived. 

We  have  seen  various  people,  and  made  expeditions 
to  Wiesbaden.  We  wrote  to  the  Empress  Frederick's 
lady-in-waiting  the  other  day  (Countess  Perponcher, 
whom  Mary  knows  very  well)  to  say  that  I  was  here 
near  Cronberg,  and  would  be  so  pleased  if  the  Empress 
would  receive  me.  The  answer  has  just  come,  asking  me 
to  lunch  at  Cronberg  on  Wednesday.  I  am  delighted  to 
go — first  to  see  the  Empress,  and  then  to  see  the  house, 
which  is  filled  with  beautiful  things.  The  Empress  has 
travelled  so  much,  and  been  so  much  in  Italy,  and  has 
bought  all  sorts  of  treasures. 

Tuesday,  August  17,  1897. 

Last  night  we  went  to  the  opera  at  Wiesbaden.  It  was 
"Hansel  and  Gretel,"  beautifully  given — the  orchestra 
very  good  and  the  angel  scene  with  all  the  angels  coming 
down  a  sort  of  ladder  and  circling  round  the  sleeping 


i897]  "HANSEL   AND    GRETEL"  387 

children  quite  exquisite.  It  was  a  funny  contrast  to  the 
London  and  Paris  Opera.  Mary  and  I  started  off  about 
5.30  in  ordinary  summer  dress — foulard  and  voile.  We 
went  to  the  great  confectioner  at  Wiesbaden  for  our  tea 
and  cakes,  and  a  little  before  7  walked  across  to  the 
Opera.  There  we  took  off  our  hats  and  jackets,  hung 
them  up  on  a  little  peg,  found  our  seats  without  any 
trouble,  and  had  a  very  pleasant  evening.  The  entr'actes 
are  much  shorter  than  in  France,  so  that  we  were  out  a 
little  before  10.  The  drive  home  was  lovely  on  a  bright 
starlight  summer  night;  about  three-quarters  of  an 
hour.  It  was  such  an  easy,  independent  way  of  going, 
without  the  complications  of  a  man  to  go  with  us,  ser- 
vant to  take  our  cloaks^  etc.  I  often  think  I  should  like 
to  live  a  little  in  Germany,  there  is  so  much  that  I  like  in 
the  country,  and  life  seems  so  easy,  though  I  believe  Ger- 
man women  wouldn't  say  so.  They  all  seemed  weighed 
down  with  cares,  and  apparently  all  with  very  small  in- 
comes. I  wonder  if  you  have  read  Hauptmann's  **Ver- 
sunkene  Glocke";  I  am  fascinated  by  it.  It  was  a  little 
difficult  reading  at  first  on  account  of  the  sort  of  patois, 
but  It  is  a  wonderful  book,  so  weird  and  full  of  senti- 
ment.   I  will  finish  my  letter  after  our  day  at  Cronberg. 

Thursday,  August  19,  1897. 
We  had  a  charming  day ;  I  am  so  glad  we  went.  We 
started  a  little  after  ten  for  Frankfort,  where  w^e  had  a 
wait  of  20  minutes.  I  wore  my  black  voile  and  a  little 
black  and  jet  toque  In  which  I  put  a  white  aigrette,  and 
white  gloves,  so  as  not  to  be  too  black.  The  trajet  is 
short  from  Frankfort  to  Cronberg,  about  an  hour.  We 
found  two  carriages  (rather  pretty  victorias  In  wood 
natural  colour  and  cushions  the  same  colour — they  looked 
very  chic  and  country)  and  tall  powdered  footmen  in  the 


388    LETTERS  OF  A  DIPLOMAT'S  WIFE  [Aug. 

black  and  silver  Imperial  livery.     There  were  two  or 
three  people  in  the  second  carriage  whom  I  didn't  recog- 
nise at  first,  but  made  out  when  we  arrived.    Val  Prinsep, 
the  artist,  and  his  wife,  a  very  pretty  woman,  and  a  Ger- 
man lady,  also  an  artist  I  think.     The  Castle  is  not  far 
from  the  station,  and  Cronberg  (the  town)  is  rather  pict- 
uresque.    The  house  is  large — nothing  particular  in  the 
way  of  architecture,  but  stands  well  in  a  fair-sized  park. 
We  were  received  in  a  fine  hall,  with  pictures,  carvings, 
and  plenty  of  old  furniture.     Countess  Perponcher  and 
Baron  Reischach  received  us.     Count  Seckendorff  was 
not  there,  which  I  regretted,  as  I  like  him  very  much 
and  should  have  been  glad  to  see  him  again.     Countess 
Perponcher  took  us  to  a  small  room  on  the  ground  floor 
where  we  left  our  parasols,  wraps,  etc.,  and  then  we  went 
through  one  or  two  handsome  rooms  into  a  large  salon 
where  the  company  was  already  assembled.   Lady  Layard 
and  her  niece  were  staying  in  the  house,  also  Prince 
Albert  Solms   (our  old  friend)    with  his  wife.      He  is 
very  ill,  poor  fellow,  and  can  hardly  get  about.     Some 
English  friends  arrived  from  Hombourg — Lady  Cork, 
Lord  Algy  Lennox.     About   1.30  the  Empress  came — 
always  the  same  charming  manner,  and  always  her  sad 
eyes.     I  thought  she  looked  thinner  and  paler  perhaps, 
but  not  ill.    We  went  immediately  to  luncheon — the  Em- 
press first,  alone,  all  of  us  following.     Baron  Reischach 
sat  opposite  to  her,  between  me  and  Lady  Cork.     The 
talk  was  easy,  the  Empress  talking  a  great  deal.     Val 
Prinsep  too   did  his  share,  and  Lady   Cork  is  always 
clever   and    original.      After    luncheon    we    went    back 
to  the  big  drawing-room  and  looked  at   some   of  the 
beautiful  things.     Angeli's  last  portrait  of  the  Empress 
had  just  come  and  had  been  placed  (temporarily  only) 
in  a  corner  where  the  lig;ht  was  not  very  good.     It 


The   Empress    Frederick,  wearing  the  Order  of  the 

Black   Eagle.' 

The  last  portrait  of  the  Empress  by  the  artist  Angeli. 


1897]  THE    EMPRESS    FREDERICK  389 

is  a  fine  picture — the  Empress  all  in  black  with  her 
splendid  pearl  necklace,  seated  on  a  sort  of  carved 
throne,  or  high-backed  chair — all  the  shading  dark, 
the  only  bit  of  colour  the  yellow  ribbon  of  the  Black 
Eagle.  It  is  a  striking  picture  and  very  like  her, 
but  so  inexpressibly  sad.  She  called  each  one  of  us  in 
turn  to  come  and  sit  by  her.  She  spoke  very  warmly 
of  W.  to  me,  and  asked  me  if  I  didn't  regret  my  Lon- 
don life,  and  if  I  did  not  find  it  very  difficult  to  settle 
down  in  France  after  having  lived  ten  years  in  London, 
"the  great  centre  of  the  world."  It  is  curious  how  uni- 
versal that  feeling  is  with  English  people  (and  "au 
fond,"  notwithstanding  all  the  years  she  has  lived  in 
Germany,  the  Empress  is  absolutely  English  still  in  her 
heart).  They  think  that  life  in  England — London — 
spoils  one  for  everything  else.  I  told  her  I  didn't  think 
I  was  to  be  pitied  for  living  in  Paris — after  all,  my  boy 
was  a  Frenchman  and  all  his  interests  were  in  France. 
She  asked  about  Francis,  how  old  he  was,  and  couldn't 
believe  that  I  was  going  back  to  feter  his  21  years,  and 
thought  it  was  fortunate  for  him  that  his  early  education 
had  been  in  England. 

We  talked  a  little  about  French  literature — I  think 
she  reads  everything — and  she  asked  about  Bayreuth, 
were  there  many  French  people  there.  I  told  her  the 
Director  of  the  Grand  Opera,  among  others,  who  wants 
to  have  the  "Meistersinger"  in  France,  but  Mdme.  Wag- 
ner is  rather  unwilling — the  choruses,  she  thinks,  are  too 
difficult  either  to  translate  or  to  sing  with  the  true  spirit 
in  any  other  language.  The  Empress  said,  *'She  is  quite 
right ;  it  is  one  of  the  most  difficult  of  Wagner's  operas, 
and  essentially  German  in  plot  and  structure.  It  scarcely 
bears  translation  in  English  and  in  French  would  be  im- 
possible; neither  is  the  music,  in  my  mind,  at  all  suited 


390    LETTERS  OF  A  DIPLOMAT'S  WIFE   [Aug. 

to  the  French  character.  The  mythical  legend  of  the 
Cycle  would  appeal  more  to  the  French,  I  think,  than  the 
ordinary  German  life."  I  daresay  she  is  right.  When 
she  congedied  me  I  talked  some  little  time  to  Prince 
Solms,  Reischach,  and  others.  Then  it  was  getting  time 
for  us  to  go,  as  we  had  to  take  the  4.30  train  back  to 
Frankfort.  I  was  standing  by  the  window,  from  which 
there  is  a  fine  open  view  over  plain  and  woods,  when  the 
Empress  came  up  to  say  good-bye.  She  supposed  I  was 
going  back  to  France,  where  I  would  find  my  boy.  **You 
are  very  fortunate  to  have  him  still  with  you;  it  gives 
such  an  interest  to  your  life."  She  kissed  me,  and  then 
said  sadly,  ''My  task  is  done — I  am  quite  alone."  I 
watched  her  go  out  of  the  room,  across  the  hall,  and  up 
the  great  staircase,  with  her  long  black  dress  trailing  be- 
hind, alone — as  she  said.  It  must  be  an  awful  solitude 
for  her — living  there  in  her  beautiful  house,  filled  with 
art  treasures  of  all  kinds,  and  with  friends  near  all  sum- 
mer at  Hombourg,  Wiesbaden,  etc.,  who  are  only  too 
happy  to  go  to  her — but  her  real  life  is  over,  and  she  is 
as  far  away  from  Germany  and  the  throbbing  pulse  of 
the  nation  as  if  she  were  a  cloistered  nun. 

The  Val  Prinseps  came  away  with  us,  and  we  made  a 
bout  de  chemin  together  until  they  branched  off  to  Hom- 
bourg. He  has  quite  the  same  idea  of  the  Empress; 
says  "elle  se  ronge,"  that  she  had  always  had  such  aspira- 
tions and  wanted  to  do  so  much  for  the  intellectual  life 
of  Germany.  Mary  and  I  got  to  Frankfort  in  good  time, 
and  home  for  dinner.  We  were  glad  to  prowl  about  in 
the  garden  after  dinner,  when  it  was  deliciously  cool  and 
the  air  heavy  almost  with  the  scent  of  roses,  of  which  she 
has  quantities.  We  saw  the  Rhine  and  the  lights  of  May- 
ence  in  the  distance.  I  suppose  this  place  too  I  shall 
never  see  again,  as  I  think  Mary  has  made  up  her  mind 


i897]  CO  WES  391 

to  sell  Meingenlngeno  I  think  she  will  settle  in  Ireland 
if  she  can  get  the  old  Townshend  place  where  she  was 
one  summer.  It  is  ideal,  close  on  the  sea,  with  a  splendid 
park  rising  up  behind  the  Castle,  but  will  be  a  great 
change  for  her. 

To  H.  L.  K, 

South  Pavilion,  West  Cowes, 
August  9,  1900. 

We  are  becoming  accustomed,  Dear,  to  the  wind  and 
rain  and  a  general  damp  feeling.  I  don't  think  I  have 
been  really  dry  since  we  left  Paris.  I  live  in  my  serge 
dress  and  a  waterproof.  I  should  have  been  quite  com- 
fortable if  I  could  have  changed  with  the  other  one,  but 
Bessie  Talleyrand  is  disporting  herself  in  it.  When  we 
arrived  we  found  everyone  in  mourning  for  the  Duke  of 
Edinburgh,  the  first  days  not  so  marked,  but  since  the 
Osborne  has  arrived  with  the  Prince  and  Princess  on 
board  one  sees  nothing  but  black,  and  Bessie  was  much 
disgusted,  having  only  blue.  The  steam  launches  and 
boats  go  all  day  between  the  yachts  and  the  shore. 
Everyone,  men  and  women,  wears  those  remarkable  yel- 
low mackintoshes;  you  can't  tell  them  apart,  and  the 
boats  look  as  if  they  were  loaded  with  great  yellow 
"ballots."  The  two  American  yachts,  Nahma,  Mrs.  Goe- 
let,  and  Itwana,  Mr.  Armour,  are  splendid,  enormous 
steamers  and  beautifully  kept.  Yesterday  after  lunch 
Bessie  and  I  started  in  the  wind  and  rain  to  drive  over  to 
Osborne  and  write  ourselves  down  for  the  Queen.  I  am 
afraid  I  sha'n't  see  her,  which  will  be  a  great  disappoint- 
ment to  me ;  but  the  ladies  here  tell  me  she  is  much  af- 
fected by  the  Duke  of  Edinburgh's  death,  and  after  all, 
the  Prince  has  only  just  got  back  from  his  funeral.  The 
drive  through  Cowes  is  not  very  interesting,   through 


392    LETTERS   OF  A   DIPLOMAT'S  WIFE   [Aug, 

dirty,  smelly  little  streets;  but  once  over  the  ferry 
(which  one  crosses  in  a  boat  large  enough  to  take  the 
Queen's  carriage  with  four  horses)  it  is  pretty  enough, 
up  a  long  hill  with  fine  trees  and  a  few  places.  We  didn't 
see  the  Castle,  as  of  course  we  were  stopped  at  the  gates, 
which  were  open,  with  a  policeman  standing  just  inside. 
The  park  looked  fine,  grass  and  flower  beds  beautifully 
kept.  We  wrote  ourselves  down  and  I  left  a  card  for  the 
Duchess  of  Roxburghe,  who  is  in  waiting.  We  went 
for  tea  to  the  Club  garden,  and  there  I  saw  the  Duchess 
of  Roxburghe,  who  told  me  the  Queen  would  certainly 
see  me.  We  dined  quietly  at  home,  rather  a  fancy  meal, 
but  we  prefer  that  to  going  out.  There  is  a  nice  little 
dining-room,  and  Joseph  waits.  How  he  gets  on  down- 
stairs with  the  three  maiden  ladies  who  run  the  establish- 
ment I  don't  know.  He  doesn't  speak  or  understand 
one  word  of  English  and  has  never  been  out  of  France 
before.  He  went  nearly  mad  over  that  remarkable  rail- 
way journey  of  ours  across  country  from  Eastbourne  to 
Cowes,  where  we  changed  about  lo  times  (all  the  lug- 
gage naturally  being  transferred  each  time),  lost  all  our 
connections  everywhere  and  arrived  at  Cowes  at  10.30 
at  night,  having  left  Eastbourne  at  2.  He  is  much  im- 
pressed with  the  uncleanliness  of  the  house,  and  said  to 
me  just  now,  "Si  Madame  voyait  les  torchons  sales  dont 
on  se  sert  pour  essuyer  les  assiettes  propres,  Madame  ne 
mangerait  jamais  a  la  maison." 

East  Cowes, 
Sunday,  August  12,  1900. 

I  had  two  notes  this  morning,  one  from  Miss  Knollys 
saying  the  Princess  would  receive  me,  and  one  from 
Madame  d'Arcos  saying  the  Empress  Eugenie  would 
like  us  to  come  to  tea  with  her  on  the  Thistle  at  5.     I 


<U    -r- 

6  1 


1900]  THE    PRINCESS    ALEXANDRA  393 

had  rather  hesitated  about  writing  myself  down  for  the 
Empress.  I  had  never  seen  her,  and  W.  was  in  such 
violent  opposition  always  to  the  Empire  that  I  never  saw 
any  of  the  Imperial  family;  but  Madame  d'Arcos  said 
Bessie  and  I  were  the  only  Frenchwomen  at  Cowes ;  we 
had  been  everywhere — on  the  Osborne,  to  the  Queen, 
etc.,  and  it  was  rude  not  to  do  the  same  thing  for  the 
Empress — au  fond,  I  was  rather  glad  to  have  the  oppor- 
tunity, as  I  had  never  seen  her.  We  went  to  the  club 
garden  after  church,  as  I  wanted  to  find  a  friend  who 
would  lend  me  a  steam  launch  to  go  out  to  the  Os- 
borne. Lord  Llangattock  offered  his,  and  also  said  he 
would  take  us  to  the  Thistle  for  tea,  as  they  were  going 
on  board  to  say  good-bye  to  the  Empress  (they  leave  to- 
night). I  wore  my  black  and  white  foulard  and  a  big 
black  hat  with  feathers  (never  a  sailor  hat),  which  could 
go,  as  the  day  was  fine  and  the  sea  smooth.  The  Prin- 
cess was  not  there  when  I  arrived;  she  had  gone  to  the 
service  on  the  Victoria  and  Albert.  Miss  Knollys  ap- 
peared and  we  sat  some  time  talking  on  deck.  I  was 
leaning  over  the  railing  when  the  Royal  launch  arrived, 
and  I  was  astounded,  after  all  these  years  (7),  at  the 
appearance  of  the  Princess.  Just  the  same  slight,  youth- 
ful figure  and  light  step.  The  Duke  of  York  came  for- 
ward first  and  talked  a  little.  He  was  dressed  in  undress 
admiral's  uniform  and  looked  very  well.  Then  the  Prin- 
cess came,  quite  unchanged.  She  was  simply  dressed,  in 
mourning,  and  looked  quite  as  she  did  the  last  time  I 
saw  her,  when  she  was  also  in  mourning  (for  Prince 
Eddie).  She  kissed  me,  seemed  pleased  to  see  me,  and 
we  sat  on  two  straw  chairs,  under  the  awning  on  the 
deck,  talking  about  all  sorts  of  things.  She  said  the 
Duke  of  Edinburgh's  death  was  a  great  grief  to  them. 
They  were  very  fond  of  him,  and  it  was  sudden;  and 


394    LETTERS  OF  A  DIPLOMAT'S  WIFE   [Aug. 

spoke  most  sadly  about  the  Empress  Frederick,  who 
seems  to  be  dying,  and  of  a  cancer.  It  seems  that  she 
knows  quite  well  what  is  the  matter  with  her  and  what 
is  before  her,  as  she  nursed  her  husband  through  his  long 
malady.  Isn't  it  awful?  She  spoke  about  Francis,  re- 
calling his  first  afternoon  at  Marlborough  House,  when 
he  was  quite  small  and  wept  bitterly  when  the  negro 
minstrels  appeared.  I  told  her  he  was  working  for 
diplomacy,  and  she  said  she  would  be  much  pleased  to 
see  him  when  he  came  to  London  as  attache. 

The  Prince  came  and  talked  a  little  while,  and  also 
recalled  the  last  time  we  met  last  summer  on  the  quai  at 
Nuremberg,  both  coming  from  Marienbad,  and  swal- 
lowing hastily  a  cup  of  very  hot  coffee.  I  thought  he 
looked  grave  and  preoccupied.  He  talked  a  little  about 
Cowes.  He  said  he  never  remembered  such  a  bad  week 
— awful  weather  and  few  yachts.  He  was  very  compli- 
mentary about  the  two  big  American  yachts,  Itwana 
and  Nahma;  said  he  had  never  seen  the  Nahma,  which 
he  regretted,  but  he  didn't  know  Mrs.  Goelet — did  I? 
"Oh  yes,  very  well,  ever  since  she  was  a  child,  and  her 
mother  and  father  before."  I  was  sure  she  would  be  very 
pleased  to  receive  them.  The  Prince  said  they  were  in 
such  deep  mourning  that  they  had  been  on  no  yacht,  and 
he  hoped  there  would  be  no  party.  I  said  Mrs.  Goelet 
herself  was  in  deep  mourning.  After  some  consultation 
with  the  Princess  they  said  they  would  like  to  go  on 
board  to-morrow  morning  at  12  o'clock  (they  leave  early 
Tuesday  morning),  and  I  promised  to  speak  to  Mrs. 
Goelet. 

He  v;as  amused  when  I  said  I  liked  the  "Japs"  so 
much,  as  he  rather  invented  them.  They  came  to  sing  to 
him  one  summer  when  he  was  ill  at  Cowes  and  on  his 
yacht  all  the  time.     There  are  four  people,  three  women 


1900]  THE    EMPRESS    EU(;ENIE  395 

and  a  man  (a  Frenchman),  all  masked,  the  women  in 
pretty  Japanese  dresses  and  the  man  in  ordinary  clothes- 
One  woman  accompanies  at  the  piano  by  heart,  and  ex- 
tremely well ;  the  other  two  and  the  man  sing  and  dance 
— dancing  very  moderate — a  sort  of  "walk  around,"  but 
the  singing  very  good;  all  English  except  one  or  two 
little  French  songs  the  man  sings  alone.  One  of  their 
favourite  ditties,  "Mary  housemaid,"  always  brings 
down  the  house.  It  is  just  the  sort  of  thing  that  would 
have  amused  us  in  our  young  days  when  we  used  to  play 
and  sing  by  heart  and  invent  steps.  The  women  are 
very  graceful — I  don't  know  if  they  are  pretty,  as  one 
never  sees  their  faces — and  the  man  extraordinary,  very 
amusing  and  never  vulgar. 

I  think  I  must  have  been  a  long  time  on  the  yacht,  and 
nothing  could  be  more  gracious  and  sympathetic  than  the 
Princess.  She  told  me  the  Queen  would  certainly  re- 
ceive me.  I  hadn't  more  than  time  to  get  back  where 
Bessie  and  Borghese  were  very  hungry  waiting  for 
luncheon,  and  to  start  again  at  4;  this  time  with  Bessie 
and  the  Llangattocks  for  the  Thistle.  We  were  re- 
ceived by  Madame  d'Arcos,  Mile.  Darauvilliers,  and  M. 
Rambaut.  They  told  us  the  Empress  had  a  cold  and  was 
very  hoarse;  had  been  forbidden  by  the  doctor  to  come 
on  deck,  and  also  to  talk,  but  that  she  would  receive  us 
in  the  cabin.  We  went  down  almost  immediately,  pre- 
ceded by  Madame  d'Arcos,  who  said  we  must  not  stay 
long,  as  the  Empress  ought  not  to  talk.  She  was  stand- 
ing in  her  cabin,  still  a  handsome,  stately  figure,  with 
beautiful  brow  and  eyes,  and  charming  manner,  more 
animated  than  I  had  imagined.  She  was  very  well 
dressed  in  black.  She  made  us  sit  down  and  talked  her- 
self a  great  deal,  always  about  Paris,  the  Bassanos 
(speaking  most  warmly  of  the  Duke),  d'Aabuferas,  and 


396    LETTERS  OF  A  DIPLOMATS  WIFE   LAua 

various  mutual  friends.  She  knew  Francis  was  to  work 
for  diplomacy,  and  said  she  could  wish  him  nothing  bet- 
ter than  to  walk  in  his  father's  footsteps.  We  were  afraid 
we  were  tiring  her,  as  she  talked  all  the  time.  Twice  the 
"dame  d'honneur"  appeared,  but  she  waved  her  away. 
When  she  finally  dismissed  us  she  said  "J^  ^^^  ^i^^i  P^s 
adieu,  mais  au  re  voir" — regretted  very  much  that  she 
could  not  come  on  deck  and  have  tea  wath  us,  but  that  we 
must  certainly  stay.  We  had  a  pleasant  half  hour  talk- 
ing with  the  others,  and  then  there  came  a  message  from 
her  begging  that  we  would  take  her  launch  and  cruise 
about  in  the  harbour.  I  accepted  gladly,  as  I.  wanted  to 
communicate  with  the  Nahma  and  didn't  exactly  know 
how  to  manage.  The  French  ladies  too  wished  to  see  the 
American  yacht,  so  off  we  started  in  the  Empress's  launch. 
It  seemed  funny  after  all  these  years  to  be  suddenly 
thrown  with  the  Empress  and  her  suite  and  careering 
about  in  her  launch.  Mrs.  Goelet  was  not  on  board,  but 
the  steward  took  the  visitors  all  over  the  yacht,  and  I  dis- 
covered Mrs.  Warren  and  told  her  that  the  Prince  and 
Princess  would  like  to  go  on  board  to-morrow — she  said 
she  was  quite  sure  her  daughter  would  be  very  happy 
to  see  them.  I  found  a  note  from  the  Duchess  of  Rox- 
burghe  when  I  got  home,  saying  that  the  Queen  w^ould 
receive  me  to-morrow  at  4.30  at  Osborne,  so  my  day 
will  be  full,  as  I  told  Mrs.  Goelet  I  would  come  to  the 
Nahma  to  present  her  to  the  Prince  and  Princess. 

To  H.  L.  K, 

East  Pavilion,  Cowes,  Isle  of  Wight, 
Monday,  August  13,  1900. 

Well,  Dear,  I  am  just  back  from  Osborne.     I  have  the 
salon  all  to  myself,  Bessie  and  Borghese  are  out,  and  I 


I900]         AN    AUDIENCE    AT    OSBORNE  397 

will  write  you  all  about  my  audience  while  it  is  fresh  in 
my  memory,  but  I  must  begin  at  the  beginning  and  tell 
you  about  the  Royal  visit  to  the  Nahma,  which  went  off 
very  well.  A  little  before  twelve  Mr.  Warren,  Mrs.  Goe- 
let's  brother,  came  for  us  and  we  went  off  at  once  to  the 
yacht.  The  Royal  party  arrived  very  punctually.  Prince 
and  Princess,  Duke  and  Duchess  of  York,  Princess  Vic- 
toria, and  various  gentlemen.  They  were  all  delighted 
with  the  yacht,  particularly  the  Duke  of  York,  who  saw 
everything.  He  called  an  officer  of  the  Osborne  to  see 
some  arrangement  of  signals  which  it  seems  is  wonder- 
ful, and  said  they  had  nothing  so  perfect  in  the  Royal 
Yacht.  Mrs.  Goelet  did  the  honours  very  well  and  sim- 
ply, receiving  the  Princes  at  the  gangway,  with  her  son 
and  daughter  on  each  side  of  her,  a  pretty,  graceful  figure 
in  her  plain  black  dress.  I  remained  on  board  to  lunch 
after  the  Princes  departed,  and  they  sent  me  ashore  at 
2.30  as  I  had  just  time  to  dress  and  go  to  Osborne. 

I  started  again  a  little  before  4,  wearing  my  black 
taffetas  trimmed  with  lace  and  a  tulle  bonnet  and  white 
aigrette  (quite  costume  de  ville — I  could  not  go  to  the 
Queen  in  a  serge  skirt  and  big  hat).  I  took  Joseph  with 
me  in  plain  black  livery.  We  arrived  quite  in  time,  as 
there  was  no  delay  at  the  ferry  this  time,  and  the  large 
gates  were  open,  the  man  making  a  sign  to  us  to  drive 
in.  There  were  two  or  three  policemen  standing  near  the 
gate  and  in  the  park.  The  park  is  pretty — not  very  large 
but  beautifully  green,  and  as  we  got  near  the  house, 
quantities  of  flowers — a  mass  of  colour.  The  house  is 
not  handsome — rather  imposing,  a  large  grey  stone 
house  with  two  wings,  and  flower-beds  close  up  to  the 
windows.  Three  or  four  footmen  in  plain  black  livery 
were  waiting  in  the  hall,  and  they  took  me  at  once  up- 
stairs to  the  ladies'  drawing-room — a  nice  room  at  the 


398    LETTERS   OF  A   DIPLOMAT'S  WIFE    [Aua 

side  of  the  house  not  looking  out  to  sea.  The  Duchess 
of  Roxburghe  was  waiting  for  me,  and  we  talked  about 
fifteen  minutes.  Then  came  a  Highland  servant  saying, 
''Her  Majesty  was  ready  to  receive  Lady  Waddington." 
The  Duchess  and  I  went  downstairs,  walked  through 
various  galleries,  and  stopped  at  a  door  where  there  was 
no  servant.  The  Duchess  knocked,  the  Queen's  voice 
said,  "Come  in,"  and  I  found  myself  in  a  beautiful  large 
salon,  all  the  windows  opening  on  the  sea.  The  Queen, 
dressed  as  usual  in  black,  was  seated  in  the  middle  of  the 
room  facing  the  door.  I  had  barely  time  to  make  one 
curtsey — she  put  out  her  hand  and  made  me  sit  down 
next  to  her.  She  spoke  to  me  first  in  French  (just  as 
she  always  did  when  I  was  at  the  Embassy — to  mark,  I 
suppose,  that  I  was  the  French  Ambassadress),  "J^  suis 
tres  heureuse  de  vous  revoir — I  think  wx  can  speak  Eng- 
lish— how  much  has  happened  since  we  met";  and  then 
we  talked  about  all  sorts  of  things.  I  thought  she  looked 
extremely  well — of  course  I  couldn't  tell  if  her  sight  was 
gone,  as  she  knew  I  w^as  coming  and  I  sat  close  to  her. 
Her  eyes  were  blue  and  clear,  and  her  memory  and  con- 
versation quite  the  same.  She  thanked  me  for  my  letter ; 
said  the  Duke  of  Edinburgh's  death  was  a  great  blow  to 
her.  It  was  so  sudden,  she  had  not  thought  him  ill.  She 
had  lost  three  children  all  very  dear  to  her,  and  it  was 
hard  at  her  age  to  see  her  children  go  before  her.  She 
spoke  at  once  (so  moderately)  of  the  caricatures  and 
various  little  incidents  that  had  occurred  in  France.  I 
said  I  was  very  glad  to  have  an  opportunity  of  telling 
her  that  everybody  in  France  (except  for  a  few  hot- 
headed radicals  and  anti-English)  was  most  indignant 
at  such  gratuitous  insults  not  only  to  the  Queen  but  to 
a  woman.  She  said  she  quite  understood  that — that 
wherever  she  had  been  in  France  everybody  had  done 


igool  QUEEN    VICTORIA    IN    1900  399 

what  they  could  to  make  her  stay  happy  and  comfortable ; 
that  she  never  could  forget  it,  and  hoped  the  French 
nation  felt  that — also  that  she  would  never  dream  of 
holding  the  country  responsible  for  the  radical  press,  but 
"my  children  and  my  people  feel  it  very  deeply."  We 
talked  about  the  King  of  Italy's  murder  (she  was  much 
pleased  with  the  expression  in  one  of  the  Italian  papers 
"e  morto  in  piedi")  and  she  expressed  great  sympathy 
for  Queen  Margherita — *'She  is  fond  of  Italy  and  is  al- 
ways thinking  and  planning  what  she  can  do  for  the 
people."  We  also  talked  about  the  Shah  and  the  attentat 
in  Paris.  I  said  that  left  me  rather  indifferent,  but  she 
answered  instantly,  "You  are  quite  wrong — it  is  the 
principle,  not  the  person,  that  is  attacked  in  those  cases." 
I  then  remarked  that  it  was  a  great  pity,  I  thought,  that 
one  of  those  gentlemen  (anarchists,  not  sovereigns) 
shouldn't  be  lynched;  that  I  believed  the  one  thing  they 
were  afraid  of  was  the  justice  of  the  people.  She  said, 
"That  is  not  a  very  Christian  sentiment" ;  but  I  think 
she  didn't  altogether  disagree  with  me.  She  asked  me 
about  Francis — was  he  working  for  diplomacy ;  and  then, 
I  don't  know  exactly  how,  we  began  talking  about  mixed 
marriages.  She  said  she  didn't  think  religion  ought  to 
be  an  invincible  obstacle.  I  said  I  thought  with  her,  but 
that  French  Protestants  were  very  strict.  I  told  her  it 
had  been  said  that  my  husband,  who  was  certainly  a  very 
large-minded  man  in  most  things,  was  really  narrow 
about  Catholics.  She  said,  with  such  a  charming  smile, 
"Oh,  I  can't  think  M.  Waddington  was  ever  narrow 
about  anything,  I  always  thought  him  one  of  the  most 
large-minded,  just  men  I  ever  knew."  I  must  say  I  was 
pleased,  and  W.  always  felt  that  for  some  reason  or 
another  he  was  sympathetic  to  her.  We  talked  a  little 
about  the  Empress  Frederick ;  she  said  the  last  news  was 


400    LETTERS  OF  A  DIPLOMAT'S  WIFE   [Aug 

better,  but  she  evidently  didn't  want  to  pursue  the  sub- 
ject. We  talked  on  some  little  time,  and  when  she  finally 
dismissed  me,  she  said,  'T  hope  you  will  come  back  to 
England,  and  whenever  you  do  I  shall  be  very  glad  to  see 
you."  She  shook  hands — I  backed  myself  to  the  door, 
opened  it,  and  there  found  the  Highland  servant,  who 
took  me  back  to  the  drawing-room  where  the  Duchess 
of  Roxburghe  was  waiting.  She  suggested  that  we 
should  go  for  a  turn  in  the  garden,  and  when  she  went 
to  get  her  hat  I  looked  about  the  room,  which  is  quite 
plainly  furnished — a  grand  piano,  comfortable  furniture, 
not  pretty,  and  no  particular  style. 

We  walked  about  the  gardens  a  little,  which  are  pretty, 
such  quantities  of  flowers,  and  had  tea  under  the  trees. 
Two  of  the  ladies  came  out — Mrs.  Grant  and  Miss 
Harbord.  They  were  very  anxious  to  know  if  I  found 
the  Queen  changed  after  seven  years,  but  I  really  can't 
say  I  did.  My  impression  is  that  they  find  her  older. 
They  say  she  felt  the  Duke  of  Edinburgh's  death  very 
much,  and  that  she  is  very  worried  about  the  Empress 
Frederick,  though  she  doesn't  talk  much  about  her.  It 
was  lovely  sitting  under  the  trees,  so  cool  and  quiet  after 
the  noise  and  glare  of  Cowes.  All  the  people  bowed  as 
we  drove  home  through  Cowes.  I  think  they  took  Jo- 
seph In  his  black  livery  for  one  of  the  Queen's  servants. 

I  must  tell  you  that  Joseph  and  Elise  are  also  moving 
in  high  society.  Joseph  came  with  a  most  smiling  face 
to  me  Saturday  night  to  say  that  one  of  his  friends 
was  chef  on  the  Empress's  yacht  (the  Thistle)  and  had 
invited  them  to  breakfast  on  Sunday  on  the  yacht.  I 
said  they  could  go,  and  when  Bessie  and  I  were  going  to 
church  we  saw  them  start — he  in  the  regulation  Cowes 
blue  serge  costume  (not  the  short,  very  short,  Eton  jacket 
which  is  the  dress  attire  of  the  Club  men)  and  yellow 


»9oo]  DEATH    OF   THE    QUEEN  401 

shoes,  and  she  in  my  old  purple  foulard,  with  a  very  nice 
little  toque.  A  very  smart  little  boat  was  waiting  for 
them. 

Now,  my  Dear,  I  must  stop,  as  I  am  exhausted,  and  a 
perfect  Mrs.  Jelly  by,  papers  flying  all  over  the  place,  as 
I  am  writing  at  the  open  window,  and  ink  all  over  me, 
fingers,  hair,  etc.  I  can't  say,  as  Madame  de  Sevigne 
did,  "ma  plume  vole,"  for  mine  stops  and  scratches,  and 
makes  holes  in  the  paper,  and  does  everything  it  can  to 
make  my  writing  difficult.  I  wonder  why  I  hate  it  so — 
I  do — as  soon  as  I  sit  down  to  my  writing-table  I  want 
to  go  out  or  play  on  the  piano,  or  even  crochet  little  petti- 
coats— anything  rather  than  write.  I  suppose  I  shall 
never  see  the  Queen  again — at  her  age  it  isn't  very  likely, 
especially  if  I  wait  another  seven  years  without  coming 
over.    I  am  glad  she  received  me,  it  was  a  great  pleasure. 


Note. 

Paris,  29,  Rue  Auguste  Vacquerie, 
Dimanche,  29  Decembre,  1901. 

Of  course  I  never  saw  the  Queen  again.  She  began 
to  fail  that  same  autumn  (1900)  after  her  return  home 
from  Balmoral,  and  died  at  Osborne  the  22d  of  Janu- 
ary, 1 90 1 — a  beautiful  death,  painless,  sleeping  away  and 
all  her  children  and  grandchildren  with  her.  It  isn't  only 
the  Queen  who  has  disappeared — it  is  the  century.  Eng- 
land will  enter  on  a  new  phase — but  it  must  be  different 
from  the  chapter  that  has  just  closed. 


INDEX 


d'A ,  Countess,  235 

A ,  Lady,  214,  235 

A ,    Lord,    experience   on  the 

House  of  Lords  boat  at  tRe 
Naval  Review,  264,  265 

A ,  Mdme.,  87,  89,  122 

Aberdeen,  Lady,  313 

Aberdeen,   Lord,  216 

Abinger,  Lord  and  Lady,   172 

Adams,  234 

Adelaide,  Mile.,  7,  10  et  passim 

d'Agoult,  343 

Albanesi,  234 

Albani,  242,  243 

Albany,  Duke  and  Duchess  of, 
179;   death  of  the  Duke,  206 

Albert,  Arch  Duke  and  Arch 
Duchess,  of  Austria,  56;  inci- 
dent in  Paris,  57 

Albert,   Prince,   177;   tomb,   239 

Albert  Solms,  Prince,  388 

Albert  Victor,  Prince,  Duke  of 
Clarence,  184,  186,  218,  237;  ill- 
ness, 33s;  engagement  to  Prin- 
cess May,  333;  death,  334;  fu- 
neral,   336;    sarcophagus,    369 

d'Albuferas,  395 

Alexander  IIL,  Emperor  of  Rus- 
sia, 4;  the  procession  to  the 
Kremlin,  44-46;  danger  from 
the  NihiHsts,  52,  53;  corona- 
tion of,  65-67;  the  breakfast 
following  the  Coronation,  68- 
70;  the  reception  after  the  Cor- 
onation,   71-73;    at    the    Court 


Ball,  74,  75;  at  the  great  ball 
at  the  Palace,  78;  the  Fete 
Populaire,  82;  at  the  Palace 
ball,  86-90;  the  gala  dinner,  93, 
94;  the  revue,  102-104;  his 
home  at   Peterhof,   116,   117 

Alexander,  Prince,  of  Batten- 
berg,  236 

Alexis,  Grand  Duke,  at  the  coro- 
nation of  his  brother,  Emperor 
Alexander  IIL,  66;  at  the  Pal- 
ace ball,  86 

Alice,  Princess,  of  Hesse,  239 

Amedee,  King,  92 

Amelie,  Princess,  of  Schleswig- 
Holstein,  326 

Ampthill,  Lord  and  Lady,  17, 
281,  282 

Anne,  ,  5 

Antrim,  Lady,  310,  312 

d'Aoste,  Due,  6;  described,  91, 
92,  361 

Appert,  General,  145,  148,  153 

Appert,  Madame,  153,  154;  her 
daughters,  154 

d'Arcos,   Madame,   395 

Armour,   Mr.,  391 

Arran,  Lady,  377 

Arthur,  Sir  George,  375,  377, 
382 

Ashburton,  Lady,  349 

Ashburton,    Lady   Louisa,  242 

Astor,  Mrs.  357 

Augusta,   Empress,  18 

d'Aumale,  Due,  217,  303,  304 


403 


404 


INDEX 


Baden,  Grand  Duchess  of,  i8 

Baldwin,  Admiral,  58,  120,  142; 
entertains  the  Waddingtons 
and  others  on  his  flagship,  120- 
123;  impressions  of  the  Coro- 
nation, 137 

Baldwin,  Mrs.,  151 

Barrington,   Mr.   Eric,  329,  2)2>7 

Bassanos,  395 

Bayard,  Mr.,  377 

Beatrice,  Princess,  176,  177,  192, 
195;  at  the  opening  of  Parlia- 
ment, 237;  at  Windsor  Castle, 
238,  311 

Bedford,  Duchess  of,  236,  257, 
280 

Bedford,  Duke  of,  280,  281 

Belgians,  King  of  the,  249 

Belgians,  Queen  of  the,  256 

Benckendorff,  Colonel,  34  et  pas- 
sim 

Berard,  M.,  24,  26 

Beresford,  Lord  Charles,  296 

Bernadotte,  138 

Bernhardt,   Mdme.   Sarah,   135 

Bille,  Elsa  de,  317,  323 

Bille,  Mdme.  de,  315,  326 

Bismarck,  15;  talks  with  M.  Wad- 
dington,  17,  18,  21;  friction  with 
the   Empress,  268 

Bismarck,  Herbert,  243 

Bleichroeder,  19 

Blennerhasset,  Lady,  340 

Blumenthal's,  302 

Bohm,  281,  282 

Boleyn,  Anne,  175 

Bondy,  M.  de,  140,   142 

Borghese,  395 

Borthwick,   Lady,  251,  271,  272 

Boston,  Lord,  218 

Boulanger,  267,  268,  296 

Bowen,  Judge,  367 

Braganza,  Duchesse  de,  256 


Brandt,   Mr.,  163 

Brasseys,   187 

Brennen,  Mme.  and  Mile,  de,  203 

Bridge,  Dr.,  348 

Brown,  Mrs.,   169 

Brown,   John,  tablet  in  memory 

of,  239 
Brownlows,  346 
Bryce,  Mr.,  307 
Btetju,   Count,   244 
Buccleuch,  Duchess  of,  237,  257 
"Buffalo  Bill,"  243 
Bulgaria,  Prince  of,  218 
Billow,  337 

Bunsen,  George  de,  15,  16,  17 
Bunsen,  Mile.  Beatrice  de,  285 
Bunsen,  Mary  de,  386,  390 
Burns,  Walter,  295 
Burtons,  354 

Bury,  Mile,  de,  "sur  Racine,"  212 
Bylandt,   Comte  de,  at  the  Naval 

Review,  261,  265 
Bylandt,    Comtesse   de,   203,    220, 

222,  259,  338 
Byng,  Colonel,  252,  369 

C ,    Lord,    Indian    Secretary. 

252 

Calmon,   Robert,  7,  95 

Cambridge,  Duchess  of,  180 

Cambridge,  Duke  of,  189,  195, 
201,  236,  246,  258 

Cameron,  Sir  Roderick,  283,  286; 
in  Scotland,  287  et  seq. 

Campbell,  Mr.,  207 

Carlingford,   Lord,   184 

Canterbury,  Archbishop  of,  355, 
356 

Carpe,  272 

Carrington,  Lord,  346 

Catherine  IL,  90,  95 

Cavendish,  Lord  Frederick,  mur- 
der of,  3 


INDEX 


405 


Cecil,  Lady   Gwendoline,  306 
Cecil,    Lady    Margaret,    218,    231, 

232 
Cecil,  Lord  Edward,  303 
Chaine,  Col.,  337 
Chambord,  Comte  de,  illness   of, 

156;  death,   159,   170 
Charles  IX.,   143 
Charles    Louis,    Arch    Duke    and 

Arch   Duchess,   of  Austria,   88, 

93,    96;    at    the    Coronation    of 

Emperor  Alexander,  66;  at  the 

Court  ball,    74;   drive  with  the 

Empress  at  the  revue,  103 
Chemin,   11 

Chesterfield,    Lord,    219 
Chetwode,  Sir  George  and  Lady, 

172 
Chigi,  Marchesa,  358 
Childers,  Mr.,  182 
Christian,    Prince,    of    Schleswig- 

Holstein,  266,  368 
Christian,   Princess,   254,  266,  368 
Churchill,   Lady,   192 
Clanwilliam,  Lady,  315 
Clark,   Stanley,  363 
Colocotroni,  Mile.,  71 
Compans,  Ternaux,  125 
Connaught,  Duchess  of,  368 
Connaught,  Duke  of,  236;  at  the 

Jubilee    Te    Deum,    249;    as    a 

soldier,  258 
Constantine,   Grand   Duchess,  60, 

61,  80,  87,  88,  94 
Constantine,   Grand  Duke,  60,  61 
Corcelle,  Frangois  de,  7,  13,  95 
Cork,   Lady,  388 
Cork,  Lord,  197 
Correa,  Brazilian  Minister,  270 
Corti,  Ambassador,  239,  240 
Courcel,  Mdme.  de,  16,  18,  20,  21, 

159,   162 
Courcel,  M.  de,  14,  15,  159,  162 


Coutouly,  M.,   125,   127 
Coventry,  Lord,  279,  357 
Cowell,  Sir  John,   191,  192 
Cranborne,   Lady,  306 
Cranborne,  Lord,  255 
Gumming,  Jean  Gordon,  235 
Curzon,  Lord  and  Lady,  310 

D ,  Count,  Austrian  Ambas- 
sador, 236 

Dalhousie,  Lord,   192,   193 

Darauvilliers,  Mile.,  395 

Deichmann,  Baron,  268,  344 

Deichmann,  Baroness  Hilda,  208, 
222,  253;  described,  210 

Deichmann,   Elsa,  317 

Deichmann,  Hilda,  254,  255,  321 

Deichmann,  Wilhelm,  351 

Delamere,  Lady,  354 

Delawarr,  Lord  and  Lady,  201 

Denmark,  Crown  Prince  of,  305 

Denmark,  King  of,  249 

Derby,  Lady,  reception  at  home 
of,  210,  211;  entertains  at 
Knowsley,  228-232 

Derby,  Lord,  218,  231,  232 

Deroulede,  314 

Deym,  Bianca,  317,  318,  320 

Deym,  Countess,  315,  329 

Dolgourouky,   Prince,  96 

Dubois,   Marie,   203 

Dudzeele,  Countess,  dances  with 
the  Emperor  at  the  Court  ball, 
74 

DufTerin,  Lord  and  Lady,  enter- 
tain at  Walmer  Castle,  358-360; 
rank,  371 

Duncan,  287 

Dupoutet,  347 

Eames,   Miss,  295,  314 
Edinburgh,    Duchess   of,  88,    103, 
192,  200,  203 


4o6 


INDEX 


Edinburgh,  Duke  of,  6,  45,  93, 
103,  203,  236,  254;  daughters, 
249;  at  the  Jubilee  Te  Deum, 
249;  death,  391,  393 

Edward,  Prince,  of  Saxe-Wei- 
mar,  203,  357 

Edwardes,  Gay,  317,  318,  336 

Edwardes,    Henry,  319 

Edwardes,  Mrs.,  323 

Erard,  320 

Erroll,   Lady,   176 

Esher,  Lord,  242 

d'Estournelles,  325,  328 

d'Estournelles,   Mdme.,   326,  328 

Eugenie,  Empress,  266 ;  at  Cowes, 
395,  396 

Eulenbourg,  Count,  81 

Eulenbourg,    Countess,   324 

Falbe,  Mme.  de,  232,  233 
Falbe,  M.  de,  232,  233,  305 
Fawkes,  Guy,  confession,  242 
Fayet,  Commandant,  7 
Fife,    Duke  of,   276;    engagement 
to    Princess   Louise,   301 ;   mar- 
riage, 305 
Florian,  Count  de,   194,  207,  253, 

259,  278,  283 
Florian,    Countess    de,    253,    259, 
262,    278,    283,    306;    at    White 
Lodge,  341,  342 
Forbes,  233 

Forges,  M.  Blanchard  de,  226 
Francis,  Miss  W.,  287 
Francois  d'Assises,   King,  92 
Frederick,        Empress,        Crown 
Princess,    250,    252;    described, 
253;  visit  to  Versailles,  309;  at 
Windsor,    310-312,    368;    lunch- 
eon at  Ferdinand  Rothschild's, 
314;  receives  the  Waddingtons, 
378;  at  Cronberg,  387-390;   ill- 
ness, 394 


Frederick  IIL,  Emperor,  Crown 
Prince,  250,  251;  failing  health, 
254,  266,  267;  death,  282;  funer- 
al service,  282,  283 

Frederica,  Princess,  of  Hanover, 
204 

Frederick  Charles,  Prince,  243 

Frederick  Charles,   Princess,  20 

Freeman,  Violet,  321 

Froude,  J.  A.,  229;  on  America, 
231 

Galitzin,  Prince,  49 

Gardner,  Lady  Winifred,  346 

Gayare,  242 

Gennadius,  336 

George  IL,  267 

George,  Prince,  200,  237,  337,  re- 
port of  marriage  to  Princess 
May,  362 

Gevers,   Baron,  338 

Ghika,   Princess,  222 

Giers,  M.  de,  58,  76 

Gilbert,  369 

Gille,  Mdme.,  107 

Gladstone,  Mr.  W.  E.,  described, 
3;  versatility,  181,  182;  gives  a 
reception,  188,  189;  dines  at 
Mr.  Murray's,  315;  age,  346; 
makes   his   great   Irish    speech, 

363 
Gladstone,    Mrs.    W.    E.,  3,    189, 

346;     gives    a    dinner    for    the 

Archbishop  of  Canterbury,  355, 

356 
Gladstone,  Wm.,  172 
Glinka's  opera,  "La  Vie  pour  le 

Czar,"  69,  75,  80 
Goelet,    Mrs.,    391;    receives    the 

Royal  party  aboard  the  Nahma, 

397 
Gordon,    "Chinese,"    murder    of, 
199 


INDEX 


407 


Goschens,  184 
Gower,  Mr.   Leveson,  172 
Grant,  General  U.  S.,  death,  218 
Grant,   Mrs.,  400 
Granville,  Countess,   195 
Granville,     Earl,     entertains     M. 
Waddington,  170,  171 ;  190,  185, 

273 
Greece,   King  of,  256,  260,  305 
Greece,  Queen  of,  71,  yy,  80,  93; 

described,     72;    at    the    Court 

ball,  74 
Greene,  Plunkett,  302 
Grey,  Lady  Jane,  175 
Grieg,  273 

Griswold,   Miss   Gertrude,  234 
Grondal,  Mdme.,  302 
Guillemain,  M.,  348 

Halsbury,  2^7 

Hamilton,  Duchess  of,  236 

Hamilton,  Lord  and  Lady  Claud, 

201 
Harbord,   Miss,  400 
Harcourt,     Lady,     174;     presents 

Mme.      Waddington      to      the 

Queen,   175,   176,    177 
Harcourt,  Sir  William,  174 
Hare,  the  actor,  346 
Hartington,    Lord,   199,   268,  310, 

311 

Hatzfeldt,    Comte,    16,    303,    314, 

325;  at  Hatfield,  330,  331 
Hawaiian  Secretary,  245 
Hayter,  Lord  and  Lady,  183,  200 

Henrietta  ,  10  et  passim 

Henry,     Prince,    of    Battenberg, 

204,  236,  368,  373 
Herberts,  Ivor,  273 
Heretier,  Grand  Duke,  103 
Herkomer,  his  studio  and  pupils, 

344-346 
Herschell,  Lady,  359 


Herschell,  Lord,  366,  378 

Heurtel,  Mme.,  261 

Hofifman,  Col.  and  Mrs.,  147,  154, 

155,  156 
Hollman,  276 
Hubert,  7,  et  passim 
Hubert,  Mdme.,  5,  10 
Huddlestone,   Lady   Diana,  279 
Humlicher,  Marie,  374,  375 
Hunt,   Mr.  and  Mrs.,  37,  58,  83, 

120 
Hurlbert,  Mr.,  181,  182 

Isabella,  Queen,  92 
Ivan  the  Terrible,  91 

Jansen,  Mile.,  377 

Jaures,  Admiral,  36,  94,  105;  his 
hospitality,  118 

Jaures,  Mdme.,  36,  37,  80,  88,  117; 
at  the  Court  ball,  74;  aboard 
the  Lancaster,  122 

Jay,  Anna,  39 

Jersey,  Lady,  187,  203;  expe- 
riences at  receptions,  211 

Jersey,  Lord,  187 

Jeune,  Mr.  and  Mrs.,  218,  266 

Jeune,  Sir  Francis,  367 

Joachim,  272 

Johore,  Maharajah  of,  216 

Jomini,  M.,  120 

Joseph,  7 

Joy,  Mr.,  14 

Jusserand,  J.  J.,  276,  277,  286,  380 

Juteau,  191,  216 

Kapilani,  Queen,  of  the  Sandwich 

Islands,  245,  249,  255,  256 
Karolyi,  Count,  226,  240,  241 
Karolyi,  Count  Victor,  240 
Karolyi,     Countess     Fanny,     189. 
195,  220,  240,  241 


4o8 


INDEX 


Karolyi,  Nadine,  226 
Kenmare,  Lord,  192 
Kergorlay,  M.  de,   145,  I47,  i55; 

his  children,  150,  152,  156 
Khiva,  Khan  of,  75 
Kimberley,  Lord  and  Lady,  192 
King,  Rufus,  179 
Kleeberg,  Mme.,  270 
Knollys,  Miss,   179,  184,  320,  363 
Knowles,  246 
Knowles,  James,  366 
Knutsford,  Lord,  268 
Kotchoubey,    Princess,    49-51,    58, 

82,  88 
Kufstein,  Count,  269 

Lacour,  Challemel,  Ministre  des 
Affaires  Etrangeres,  appoints 
M.  Waddington  Ambassador 
Extraordinary  to  Moscow,   5 

Lagrene,  M.,  32,  95 

La  Iglesia,  M.  de  Casa,  220,  223, 
275;  appointed  Ambassador, 
306 

Langhe,  Mile,  de,  285;  helps  with 
the  children's  comedy,  315  et 
seq. 

Lasteyrie,  347 

Lataings,  338 

Lathom,  Lord,  237,  252;  on  the 
Jubilee  ceremonies,  258,  259 

Lawrence,  Mrs.,  148 

Lawrence,  Anna,  317 

Layard,  Lady,  388 

Lecky,  Mr.,  229 

Lecomte,  M.,  298,  299,  319 

Leeds,  Duke  and  Duchess  of, 
201 

Leeven,  Baron,  118 

Leigh,  Tom,  269 

Leighton,  Sir  Frederick,  310 

Lennox,  Lord  Algy,  388 

Leroy,  Mr.,  7 


Le  Valloit,  Mdme.,  272 

Levisohn,  Mile.,  organizes  a  "toy 
symphony,"  351  et  seq. 

Lhermite,  M.,  8 

Lincoln,  Mr.,  340,  277,  380 

Lind,  Letty,  271 

Linden,  Countess,  85 

Lionel,  Lord,  232 

Llangattock,  Lord,  393 

Lloyd,  276 

Lloyd,  Lady  Mary,  349 

Lomatch,  M.,  126 

London,  Lord  Mayor  and  May- 
oress of,  364,  365,  367 

Londonderry,  Lady,  303,  315 

Lonsdale,   Lady,   184 

Lome,  Lord,  271,  302,  366 

Louis  Philippe,  171 

Louise,  Princess,  200,  271;  an- 
nouncement of  her  engagement- 
301;  marriage,  305;  at  Kensing- 
ton, 379 

Lowell,  James  Russell,  180,  202, 
242;  death  of  his  wife,  200 

Lowell,  Mrs.,   180;   death  of,  200 

Lyons,  Lord,  3,  98,  183 

Lytton,  Lord,  183,  372 

Mackay,  Mr.  and  Mrs.,  37,  58 
MacMahon,  Marechal,  6,  7 
Magdalen,  Master  of,  184 
Malagache  Embassy,  21 
Manners,    Lord   and    Lady   John, 

218 
Mansouroff,  Madame,  43 
Margaretta,  Princess,  311 
Margherita,   Queen,  399 
Marochetti,   Italian  Minister,   153 
Mary  of  Teck,  Princess,  244,  251; 
described,  275;  at  White  Lodge, 
341,  342,  362;  opens  the  French 
bazaar,  373;  tea  at  Mme.  Wad- 
dington's,  377,  378 


INDEX 


409 


Mary,  Queen,  "Bloody  Mary," 
letter  to  Cardinal  Pole,  242 

Mary,  Queen  of  Scots,  portraits 
of,  288 

Massanet,  295 

Mathias,  M.,  134,  135,  136 

Maud,   Princess,  320,  330 

Mavrocordato,  25 

May,  Princess,  244,  275;  engage- 
ment to  the  Duke  of  Clarence, 
333;  grief  for,  341,  342;  rumour 
of  marriage  to  Prince  George, 
362,  377;  at  the  French  bazaar, 

374 
Mazo,  del,   Spanish  Ambassador, 

368 
Mead,  Lady  J.,  317 
Mecklenburg,  Duke  and  Duchess 

Paul  of,  271,  272,  273 
Mensdorff,  377 
Merindol,  348 
Methuen,  Lord,  176 
Michel,   Grand  Duchess,  receives 

Mme.  Waddington,  59,  60,  87; 

described,  94 
Michel,  Grand  Duke,  87 
Mitford,  Mrs.,  340,  342 
Mohrenheim,  M.  de,  Russian  Am- 
bassador, 179,  184;  at  Windsor 

Castle,   191,   193 
Mohrenheim,    Madame    de,    185, 

191,  192,  193 
Molesworth,  Lady,  217 
Moltke,  131,   154 
Monaco,  Princess  of,  326 
Monk,  Mr.  Charles,  172,  174 
Monk,  Miss  Julia,  172,  173,  201 
Montebello,  372 
Montpensier,    Due   de,  6,  43,  46, 

93 
Montrose,  Duchess  of,  203 
Mostyn,  Mrs.,  378 
MouHn,  M.,  125 


Miinster,     German     Ambassador, 

179,  180,  239 
Murray,  Mr.,  315 

Naidillac,  Marquis  de,  326 

Nannie,  352 

Neruda,  Mdme.,  272 

Newcastle,  Duke  and  Duchess  of, 
306 

Newman,  308 

Nigra,  Italian  Ambassador,  37, 
68,  80,  82,  97;  describes  Rus- 
sian society,  98;  in  London, 
179;  at  Windsor  Castle,  192;  de- 
parture for  Vienna,  223 

Noccomore,   Commandant,  261 

Nordica,  276,  284 

Northbrook,  Lord,  183 

Northcote,  Lady,  306,  314 

Northcote,  Sir  Stafford,  189 

Northumberland,  Lord,  360 

Oborlenski,  Princess,  43,  52 
Oldenburg,    Duchess    of,    61,    88, 

103 
Oppenheim,  Mrs.,  284 
Orleans  Princes,  274 
Orloflf,  Prince,  9,  53,  96,  loi 
d'Orval,  M.,  108 
Ourousoff,  Prince,  105 

P ,  Lady,  213 

P ,  Lizzie,  243 

Pahlen,  Count,  49,  51,  54 
Pahlen,   Countess,  55,  58,  96 
Palmerston,  Lord,  171 
Paris,  Comte  de,  159,  274,  275 
Pasquier,  Due  d'Audifret,  274 
Patenotre,    M.,    135,    139;   charac- 
terises   the    Swedes,    140,    141; 
bids  farewell  to  the  Wadding- 
tons,  143 
Paul,  Mr.,  aide-de-camp,  58,  120 


410 


INDEX 


Paulucci,  Marquis,  352,  377 
Pawel-Rammingen,  Baron,  204 
Peel,    Sir    Robert,    his    daughter, 

201 
Pepys,  Lady  Mary,  285 
Percy,  Countess,  360 
Perier,  Mdme.  Casimir,  277 
Perponcher,    Countess,    310,    314, 

388 
Persia,  Grand  Vizier  of,  303 
Persia,  Shah  of,  at  the  Court  Ball, 

301;  arrival  by  water,  301,  302; 

luncheon    party  at   Hatfield   in 

his  honour,  302-304 
Peter  the  Great,  portraits  of,  118, 

119 
Petiteville,  226 
Petre,  Mr.  Henry,  313 
Pfeflfer,  351 
Phelps,     Edward     J.,     American 

Ambassador,  238,  239 
Phelps,  Marguerite,  317 
Phelps,  Mrs.,  238,  239,  247 
Phillipe,  the  coiffeur,  12 
Picolellis,  272,  275 
Pierson,  7 

Pina,  M.  de,  159,  162,  163 
Pittie,  General,  7,  24,  67,  98 
Plunkett,  Mr.,  4 
Ponsonby,    Sir    Henry,    176,    177, 

237 
Pontavice,  320  326,  327 
Pontecoulant,  Comte  de,  7,  10,  20 

et  passim;  death  of  his  brother, 

94;  his  death,  208 
Portland,  Duke  of,  202,  237 
Pourtales,  Comte  Jacques  de,  233 
Poutel,  Mdme.  du,  373 
Powell,  Mr.  Price  W.,  172 
Praed,  Mr.,  218 
Prince  Imperial  of  Germany,   18, 

19 
Probyn,  Sir  Digby,  179,  363 


Quirim,  Miss,  333 

Radziwill,  91,  162 

Radziwill,  Princess,  22 

Rambaut,  M.,  395 

Randolph  Churchill,   Lady,  .377 

Regnier,  Arch  Duke,  of  Austria, 

259 
Reischach,  Baron,  388,  390 
Renan,  309 
Reszke,  Jean  de,  315 
Ribot,  372 

Richard,  Mdme.,  320 
RichelieU}  Duchesse  de,  306 
Richter,  General,  loi,  116 
Rizzio,  murder  of,  288 
Rofify,  Mrs.,  316,  317,  321 
Rogers,  aide-de-camp,  58,  120 
Rogers,  Canon,  297;  takes  Mme. 

Waddington  through   Petticoat 

Lane,  298,  299;  his  good  work, 

299,  300 
Ronalds,  Mrs.,  272 
Rosebery,  Lady,  204;  gives  a  ball, 

255 
Rosebery,  Lord,  255,  256 
Rothschild,  Ferdinand,  314 
Rothschild,  Lord,  268 
Roustan,  naval  attache,  268 
Rudolph,  Prince,  247 
Roxburghe,  Duchess  of,  257,  392, 

398 
Russia,   Empress  of,  45;  corona- 
tion  of,  65-67;  at  the   Corona- 
tion breakfast,  67-70;  versatility 
as  a  linguist,  73;  at  the  Court 
ball,   74,   75;  at  the  great  ball, 
78;  gives  a  tea  between  the  acts 
at  the   Opera,  80;   at  the   gala 
dinner,    93,   94;   drives   without 
escort,  98 ;  at  the  revue,  103,  104 
Rustem  Pacha,  235,  330,  366 
Rutland,  Duchess  of,  304 


INDEX 


411 


Sagan,  Duke  of,  159 
St.  Albans,  Duchess  of,  377 
St.  Clair,  Lady  Harriet,  179 
St.  Genys,  276,  306,  315,  316 
St.  Vallier,  15,  17 
Salisbury,  Lady,  gives  reception, 
210,   211;    entertains    the   Wad- 
dingtons  at  Hatfield,  215,  216; 
luncheon  party  in  honour  of  the 
Shah,  302-304;  on  the  ice,  306, 
307;     gives    luncheon    for    the 
German  Emperor,  329-332;  de- 
sire for   rest,   356;   crosses   the 
channel,  362;    makes  a  speech, 

Salisbury,  Lord,  189;  speaks  in 
the  House  of  Lords,  201,  202; 
at  opening  of  Parliament,  237; 
reception,  243;  entertains  the 
Shah,  303;  and  the  German 
Emperor,  329-331 

Sancy,  M.  de,  20,   159,  162 

Sanderson,  Miss,  295 

Sanderson,  Mr.  Thomas,  2>Z7 

Sandford,  Mr.,  143 

Sarasate,  272 

Saxe-Weimar,     Prince     Herman, 

254 
Say,  Leon,  3 
Scalchi,  242 
Scarlett,  Miss,  172,  173 
Schimmelpenninck,  M.,  27,  29,  30, 

58,  122 
Schubert,  345 
Schuster,  Frank,  276 
Schuyler,   308 
Schweinitz,  General,  39,  80,  83;  at 

the    Coronation    Breakfast,    70; 

at  the  Court  ball,  7Z 
Schweinitz,  Madame,  81 
Seckendorff,  Count,  310,  312,  313, 

314,  2>Z7 
Sefton,  Lord,  231 


Segur,  Comte  Paul  de,  274 

Serge,  Grand  Duchess,  256 

Sermet,  M.,  125 

Sesmaisons,  Colonel  Comte  de,  7, 
13.   i5»  95  (^t  passim 

Seymour,  Admiral.  89 

Seymour,  Lord  William,  382 

Seymour,  Sir  Francis,  202 

Sheridan,  May,  247 

Smith,  W.  H.,  holds  a  political 
reception,  269,  270 

Solvyns,  Baron,  336,  381 

Somaglia,  Countess,  361 

Southampton,  Lady,  370 

Soveral,  Portuguese  Minister, 
314,  330,  331 

Spain,  King  of,  death  of,  220 

Spencer,  Countess,  330,  369 

Staal,  M.  de,  Russian  Ambassa- 
dor, 223,  241,  310,  326;  at  Hat- 
field, 330,  331 

Staal,  Madame  de,  22i6,  241,  323; 
described,  243 

Staal,  Thekla,  226,  323 

Stainer,  Dr.,  348 

Stanhope,  Lady,  18;  entertains 
the  Waddingtons  and  others, 
218,  219 

Stanhope,  Lord,  219 

Stanhope,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Edward, 
218 

Stanhope,  Philip,  361 

Stanley,  Dowager  Lady,  181,  182 

Stanleys,  355 

Struve,  M.  and  Mdme.  de,  120 

Stewart,  Lady  Helen,  317 

Stuart,  Miss,  348 

Sudely,  Lord,  297 

Suffield,  Lady,  z^Z 

Suffield,  Lord,  363 

Sullivan,  Sir  Arthur,  271,  272 

Sutherland,  Duchess  of,  236 

Sweden,  Crown  Prince  of,  93,  253 


412 


INDEX 


Sweden,  King  of,  142,  I43 
Sweden,   Prince  Royal  of,  145 
Sydney,  Lord,  359 

Tadema,  Alma,  379 

Talleyrand,  Bessie,  391 

Tavistock,  Lord,  281 

Teck,  Duke  of,  236 

Teesdale,  369 

Tennyson,  183 

Thenard,  284,  285;  assists  produc- 
ing the  children's  comedy,  315 
et  seq. 

Thomson,  Mr.,  339 

Thornton,  Lady,  37,  80,  88,  104; 
at  the  Court  ball,  74;  aboard 
the  Lancaster,  121,  122 

Thornton,  Mary,  126 

Thornton,  Sir  Edward,  40,  83,  89 

Thornycroft,  278,  279 

Toll,  Count  and  Countess,  153 

Tornielli,  352,  361,  277 

Tosti,  272,  275,  306 

Trebelli,  276 

Tremouille,  Charlotte  de  la,  230 

Trevelyans,  355 

Troubetzkoi,    Princess    Lise,    49, 

115 
Tweeddale,  Lady,  201 
Tweedmouth,   Lord,  354 

Val  Prinsep,  388,  390 

Vannutelli,  Mgr.,  96,  98,  118; 
visits  the  Lancaster,  122,  123 

Victoria,  Princess,  320,  397 

Victoria,  Queen,  receives  Mme. 
Waddington,  176,  177;  de- 
scribed, 177;  at  Windsor  Castle, 
192,  193,  238,  239;  Drawing- 
room,  206;  holds  long  Draw- 
ing-room, 213,  214;  opens  Par- 
liament, 235-238;  at  the  Jubilee 
ceremonies  in  Westminster  Ab- 


bey, 249,  250;  in  the  procession 
after  the  service,  250,  251;  re- 
ceives at  the  Palace,  252,  253; 
at  the  children's  fete  in  Hyde 
Park,  254,  255;  reviews  the  Vol- 
unteers, 257,  258;  at  the  Naval 
Review,  260-264;  with  the  Em- 
press Frederick  at  Windsor, 
310,  311;  bids  farewell  to  the 
Waddingtons,  368,  370-372;  re- 
ceives Mme.  Waddington  at 
Osborne,  397-401;  death,  402 

Villiers,  226 

Villestreux,  Mdme.  de  la,  364,  365, 

373 
Vinci,  Comte,  350 
Vivian,  Lady,  210 
Vivian,  Lord,  151,  153 

Waddington,  Francis,  10  et  pas- 
sim; as  an  actor,  285,  315  et 
seq;  placed  in  a  French  school, 
332 

Waddington,  Mme.,  meets  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Gladstone,  3;  M. 
Waddington  appointed  Ambas- 
sador Extraordinary  to  Mos- 
cow, to  represent  France  at 
the  Coronation  of  Emperor 
Alexander,  4-6;  preparations 
for  Moscow,  6-12;  arrives  at 
Berlin,  13,  14;  impression  of 
Berlin,  15;  visits  the  de  Bun- 
sens,  17,  19;  goes  to  the  races, 
18;  departure  from  Berlin,  22; 
dines  at  Alexandrownow  with 
a  Hessian  Prince,  23;  reaches 
Warsaw,  24;  describes  the  city, 
24;  visits  a  chateau,  25;  the 
trip  from  Warsaw  to  Moscow, 
26-31;  arrival  at  Moscow,  31, 
32;  description  of  the  Maison 
Klein,  32,  33;  experiences  with 


INDEX 


413 


a     Court      train,      36;      drives 
through     Moscow,    37-39;    the 
Emperor's     entrance     into     the 
Kremhn,  42-46;  received  by  the 
Empress,  47-52;  visits  Princess 
Obolenski,    52;    goes    over    the 
palaces  at  the  Kremhn,  54;  fa- 
mous   paintings   and   jewels   in 
the  Church  of  the  Assomption, 
54;     visits     Princess     Radziwill 
and    Countess    Pahlen,    55;    at 
the     reception     of     the     Arch 
Duke    and    Duchess    Albert   of 
Austria,    56-58;    attends    recep- 
tion at   M.   de  Giers',    58;   au- 
dience    with     Grand     Duchess 
Michel,  59,  60;  with  the  Grand 
Duchess    Constantine,    60,    61; 
with  the  Duchesse  d'Oldenburg, 
61;    and    the     Grand    Duchess 
Wladmir,    61;    dines    with    the 
permanent     French     Embassy, 
62;  the  Coronation  of  Emperor 
Alexander,    63-67,    70,    71;    the 
Coronation  breakfast,  67-70;  at 
the  presentation  of  felicitations 
to  the  Emperor  and  Empress, 
71-73;  presented  to  the  Queen 
of   Greece,    71,   72;   appearance 
of  the  Embassies,  ^2,  yy,  goes 
to  the  Court  ball,  73-75;  dances 
with  the    Emperor   and    Grand 
Duke    Wladimir,    74,    75;    the 
Fete  Populaire,  76,  82;  gives  a 
Russian    dinner,     76,     yj;     the 
great  ball  at  the  Palace,  77,  78; 
goes  shopping,  78,  95;  attends 
the  Opera,  79,  80;  tea  with  the 
Empress,    80;    gives    a    diplo- 
matic   dinner,   83,    96,    99,    100; 
photographing    the    whole    es- 
tablishment, 83,  84;  at  the  Pal- 
ace ball,  85-90;  sees  the  Tresor, 


91;  the  gala  dinner,  92-94;  the 
institution     of      the     "Enfants 
Trouves,"  95,  96;  gives  a  recep- 
tion, 100,  loi;  the  revue  at  the 
Tribune      Imperiale,      102-104; 
sightseeing    in     Moscow,     106; 
preparations   for   leaving    Mos- 
cow,    107,    108,     109;     takes    a 
moonlight  drive  to  the  Krem- 
lin,   109,    no;    departure    from 
Moscow,    in;    the    journey   to 
Petersburg,    in,    112;    descrip- 
tion of  Petersburg,  113,  114;  the 
Hermitage,   113,   115,   116;   "La 
Pointe,"   114,   115;  the  pictures 
at  the  Hermitage,  116,  117,  118; 
makes  an  excursion  to  Peterhof, 
116,  117;  dinner  at  the  Hunts', 
120;     entertained    by    Admiral 
Baldwin    on    board     the    flag- 
ship   Lancaster,    120-123;    visits 
the  Thorntons,   124,   125;  shop- 
ping   in    Petersburg,    126;    the 
voyage   by   steamer   to    Stock- 
holm,    126-134;    description    of 
Helsingfors,  129,  130;  Abo,  the 
old  capital  of  Finland,  132;  the 
approach    to    Stockholm,    134; 
drives  through  Stockholm,  135- 
139;     to     Drottningholm,     138, 
139;    shopping    in    Stockholm, 
141,  142;  journeys  from  Stock- 
holm to  Copenhagen.  144,  145; 
drives  through  Copenhagen,  145, 
147,  151,  154,  155;  visits  the  His- 
torical Museum,  146;  a  pleasant 
expedition  to   Tivoli,   148,   149; 
the   Thorwaldsen   Gallery,    149; 
a     Swedish     wedding     at     the 
Frauen    Kirche,    149,    i5o;    the 
excessive    heat,    150,    153,    160; 
sees    the    treasures    at    Rosen- 
burg,    152;    M.    de    Kergorlay's 


4H 


INDEX 


dinner,  152,  153 ;  departure 
from  Copenhagen,  157;  from 
Korsoe  to  Kiel,  157,  158;  arrives 
at  Hamburg,  158;  view  of  Ham- 
burg from  the  lake,  161;  a 
moonlight  drive,  163,  leaves 
Hamburg,  163;  arrives  at  Co- 
logne, 163,  164;  returns  to 
Paris,  165;  stays  at  Boulogne- 
sur-Mur,  167;  crosses  to  Eng- 
land, 167,  168;  inspects  her 
future  home  in  London,  168, 
169,  170,  171;  visits  the  Monks, 
172,  173,  174;  getting  settled  in 
London,  173,  174;  presented  to 
the  Queen,  175-177;  Windsor 
Castle,  177,  178;  has  an  au- 
dience of  the  Prince  and  Prin- 
cess of  Wales,  178,  179;  with 
the  Duchess  of  Cambridge,  180; 
domestic  arrangements,  180, 
181;  visits  the  Dowager  Lady- 
Stanley,  181;  talks  with  Mr. 
Gladstone,  181,  182;  politics, 
183;  entertained  by  the  Prince 
and  Princess  of  Wales  at  Sand- 
ringham,  184-186;  attends  a 
hunt  and  hunt  ball,  187,  188;  at 
Mr.  Gladstone's  reception,  188, 
189;  commanded  to  dine  and 
sleep  at  Windsor,  191-194;  first 
Drawing-room,  194-197;  goes  to 
the  Derby,  197;  to  the  meet  of 
the  Coaching  Club  and  a  polo 
game,  197,  198;  reception  at 
Devonshire  House,  199;  din- 
ners and  routs,  199,  200;  Lady 
Tweeddale's  dinner,  201;  at  the 
ball  of  the  Artillery  Corps,  202; 
Drawing-room,  203,  204;  sees 
the  Queen,  204,  205;  Westmin- 
ster Abbey,  205  ;  visits  Blenheim, 
209;    conference    "sur    Racine," 


212;  long  Drawing-room,  213, 
214;  visits  Lady  Salisbury  at 
Hatfield,  215,  216;  lunches  with 
Prince  and  Princess  of  Wales, 
216;  at  Lord  Aberdeen's  hay- 
making party,  216,  217;  Court 
concert,  217;  spends  Sunday  at 
the  Stanhopes,  218,  219;  Lon- 
don fog,  221;  Christmas  shop- 
ping, 222,  224;  farewell  din- 
ner to  Nigra,  223 ;  celebrates 
Christmas,  225,  226;  impres- 
sions of  a  Roman  Christmas, 
227;  visits  at  Knowsley,  227; 
228-232;  portraits  and  literary 
treasures  at  Knowsley,  229,  230; 
visits  the  Falbes  at  Luton,  232- 
234;  St.  Paul's,  234;  gives  din- 
ners, 234,  235 ;  attends  the  open- 
ing of  Parliament,  235-238;  at 
Windsor  Castle  again,  238,  239; 
drives  to  the  Mausoleum,  239; 
spends  Sunday  at  the  Karolyis 
at  Clieveden,  240,  241 ;  defeat 
of  the  French  troops  at  Tonkin, 
241;  interesting  old  manu- 
scripts at  Roll's  Court,  242; 
Lady  Ashburton's  house,  242; 
at  the  Opera,  242,  243;  visits  the 
Tecks,  243,  244;  presented  to 
the  Queen  of  the  Sandwich 
Islands,  245-247;  preparations 
for  the  Jubilee,  245,  247,  248; 
arranges  to  see  the  cortege  im- 
mediately after  the  service  in 
Westminster  Abbey,  245-248; 
the  Jubilee  Te  Deum,  248-250; 
the  procession  after  the  service, 
250,  251;  the  reception  at  the 
Palace,  251-253;  the  children's 
fete  in  Hyde  Park,  253,  254;  at 
the  Rosebery's  ball,  255,  256; 
the   Palace   ball,    256,    257;    re- 


INDEX 


415 


ceives  the  Jubilee  Medal,  257; 
the  Naval  Review,  259-264; 
aboard  the  Iphigenie,  261-263; 
skating,  266;  funeral  service 
for  the  German  Emperor,  267 ; 
at  the  Smiths'  political  re- 
ception, 269,  270;  musicales, 
270-273,  276;  meets  Princess 
Mary,  275;  sightseeing,  276- 
278;  christens  a  torpilleur,  278; 
races  at  Ascot,  279;  visits  the 
Duke  and  Duchess  of  Bedford, 
280-282;  death  of  the  Emperor 
Frederick,  282;  dines  with  the 
Lord  Mayor,  283,  284;  produc- 
tion of  a  play  by  Berquin,  284- 
286;  decides  to  go  to  Scotland, 
286;  the  journey  to  Edinburgh, 
287;  sightseeing  in  Edinburgh, 
287,  288;  arrives  at  Oban,  288; 
Scottish  tartans,  289;  by  sea  to 
Arishaig,  290,  291;  stays  at  In- 
veraylort,  291-295;  returns  to 
London,  296;  goes  through 
Petticoat  Lane  with  Canon 
Rogers,  298,  299;  the  People's 
Palace,  300;  at  the  Court  Ball, 
300,  301;  the  Shah's  arrival  by 
water,  301,  302;  the  luncheon 
party  at  Hatfield  in  the  Shah's 
honour,  302-304;  wedding  of 
Princess  Louise  and  the  Duke 
of  Fife,  305;  skates  at  Hatfield, 
306,  307;  and  at  Wimbledon, 
307;  attends  a  horse  sale,  308, 
309;  at  Windsor,  310-313;  sees 
"Charlie's  Aunt,"  313;  luncheon 
with  the  Empress  Frederick, 
314;  with  Lady  Northcote  at  the 
Opera,  314,  315;  the  children's 
comedy,  315  et  seq.;  formal 
entry  of  the  German  Emperor 
William   H.   into   London,   323, 


324;  reception  of  the  Emperor 
and  Empress,  325,  326;  Garden 
Party  at  Marlborough  House, 
326;  goes  to  the  luncheon  at 
Hatfield  for  the  German  Em- 
peror, 328-332;  places  son  in  a 
French  school,  332;  sickness 
and  death  of  Prince  Eddie,  333 
et  seq.;  visits  the  British  Mu- 
seum, 339;  visits  the  Tecks,  340- 
342;  visits  "Venice,"  343;  ex- 
cursion to  Herkomer's  studio, 
344-346;  opens  the  bazaar,  346, 
347;  gives  a  dinner  of  organ- 
ists, 348;  arranges  a  "toy  sym- 
phony," 350-352;  at  the  Italian 
Embassy,  352,  377;  the  Salva- 
tion Army,  353;  English  wom- 
en in  politics,  355 ;  dines  with 
the  Gladstones  to  meet  the 
Archbishop  of  Canterbury,  355, 
356;  band  of  the  "Garde  Re- 
publicaine,"  357;  visits  the  Duf- 
ferins  at  Walmer  Castle,  358- 
360;  last  outings,  361;  leaves 
for  the  Tyrol,  361;  returns  to 
England,  362;  says  good-bye  to 
Princess  Mary  and  Princess 
May,  362;  hears  Mr.  Glad- 
stone's speech  on  Ireland,  363; 
farewell  visits,  z^2>y  364;  farewell 
dinner  for  M.  Waddington  at 
the  Mansion  House,  364-367; 
last  visit  to  Windsor,  368,  369; 
last  Drawing-room,  369;  fare- 
well audience  from  Queen  Vic- 
toria, 370-372;  at  the  French 
bazaar,  373,  374;  a  musical 
afternoon  at  Mile.  Humlicher's, 

374,  375;  presented  with  a  jewel, 

375,  376;  entertains  Princess 
Mary  and  Princess  May,  Z77t 
378;  visits  Princess  Louise  and 


4i6 


INDEX 


Alma  Tadema,  379;  Easter 
Service  in  Westminster  Abbey, 
379»  380;  in  the  Temple  Church, 
380;  "Diner  d'Adieu"  at  the 
Turkish  Embassy,  380;  depart- 
ure from  London,  381-383;  arri- 
val in  Paris,  383;  hears  the  Wag- 
ner operas  at  Bayreuth,  384, 
385;  visits  Mary  de  Bunsen,386; 
goes  to  the  opera  in  Wiesba- 
den, 386,  387;  received  by  the 
Empress  Frederick  at  Cron- 
berg,  387-390;  at  Cowes,  391 
et  seq.;  meets  the  Prince  and 
Princess  of  Wales  at  Cowes, 
393-395;  visits  the  Empress 
Eugenie,  395,  396;  aboard  the 
Nahma,  397;  a  long  audience 
with  the  Queen  at  Osborne, 
397-400 
Waddington,  Richard,  7  et  passim 
Waddington,  M.  William,  report 
of  his  appointment  as  Ambassa- 
dor to  Vienna,  4;  appointed 
Ambassador  Extraordinary  at 
Moscow  to  represent  France  at 
the  Coronation  of  Emperor 
Alexander,  4-6;  personnel  of 
the  Mission,  7;  has  an  audi- 
ence from  the  Emperor  of  Ger- 
many, 17,  19;  visits  Bismarck, 
17,  18,  21 ;  received  by  Emperor 
Alexander,  35,  36;  at  the  re- 
ception of  the  Arch  Duke  and 
Duchess  Albert  of  Austria,  56- 
58;  at  the  Coronation  of  Em- 
peror Alexander,  42  et  seq.; 
farewell  audience  with  the  Em- 
peror, 99;  studies  the  medals  at 
the  Museum  in  Petersburg,  113, 
115,  116,  118,  123;  his  capacity 
for  work,  122;  visits  the  Min- 
istre  des  Affaires  Etrangeres  at 


Stockholm,  139,  140;  received 
by  the  King  of  Sweden,  142, 
143;  examines  the  medals  in  the 
Museum  at  Copenhagen,  146, 
148,  149,  154,  155,  156;  dines 
with  Gladstone,  168;  entertained 
by  Lord  Granville,  170,  171; 
shoots  with  Charles  Monk,  172- 
174;  audience  with  the  Prince 
and  Princess  of  Wales,  178,  179; 
at  Windsor  Castle,  191-193,  238; 
goes  to  Paris,  198;  meets  old 
friends,  207;  sees  the  Oxford 
and  Cambridge  boat  race,  207; 
follows  Sir  Walter  Raleigh's 
example,  207,  208;  goes  to 
Paris,  208;  talks  with  the 
Queen,  214;  shoots  at  Knows- 
ley,  229;  talks  with  Lecky  on 
Ireland,  229;  dislike  of  dancing, 
274;  bids  at  a  horse  sale,  308, 
309;  at  Windsor,  311,  312;  dines 
at  Mr.  Murray's  with  Mr.  Glad- 
stone, 315;  death  of  his  mother, 
n.,  325;  at  the  luncheon  at  Hat- 
field for  the  German  Emperor, 
328-332;  at  the  funeral  of 
Prince  Eddie,  337;  talks  with 
Lady  Salisbury,  346;  given  a 
farewell  dinner  at  the  Mansion 
House,  364-367;  farewell  visit 
to  Windsor,  368,  369;  Direct- 
eur  du  Canal  Suez,  382 

Wagner,  Mdme.,  389 

Wagner,  Richard,  345 

Wagram,  Princesse  de,  on  Bou- 
langer,  268 

Waldemar  de  Danemark,  Prince, 
93,  98,  203 

Wales,  Prince  and  Princess  of, 
37;  receive  the  Waddingtons, 
178,  179;  entertain  at  Sandring- 
ham,    184-186;   at   Buckingham 


INDEX 


417 


Palace,  195;  in  House  of  Lords, 
201;  at  the  ball  given  by  the 
Artillery  Corps,  202;  Drawing- 
room,  203;  visit  to  Ireland,  210; 
at  the  opening  of  Parliament, 
236-238;  at  the  Opera,  243;  at 
the  Jubilee  Te  Deum,  249,  250; 
at  the  children's  fete,  253-255; 
driving,  276;  open  the  Court 
Ball,  300,  301;  at  Hatfield,  303, 
304,  329-331;  at  the  children's 
comedy,  320-322;  their  popular- 
ity, Z'^'T,  death  of  Prince  Eddie, 
334;  bid  farewell  to  the  Wad- 
dingtons,  363,  364;  at  Cowes, 
393  ei  seq. 

Warren,  Mrs.,  396 

Warren,  Sir  Charles,  246,  247 

Wantage,    Lord  and  Lady,  358 

Warsoe,  M.,  151,  152 

Waru,  military  attache,  226,  259 

Wellington,  Lord,  358 

Westminster,  Duchess  of,  274 

White,  Harry,  218,  314 

White,  Muriel,  317,  318 

Whitehouse,  Harry,  145,  147 

Wilhemi,  345 

William  L,  Emperor,  gives  an 
audience  to  M„  Waddington, 
17,  19;  death,  266;  funeral  ser- 
vice, 267 

William  H.,  Emperor,  as  Crown 
Prince,  267;  State  Banquet  for, 


323;  formal  entry  into  London, 
323,  324;  at  the  Opera,  325;  re- 
ceives  at    Buckingham    Palace, 
325,    326;    goes    to    the    Lord 
Mayor's  Banquet,  327;  rides  in 
the  Row,  327;  given  a  luncheon 
at  Hatfield,  328-331;  returns  to 
Germany,  331 
Williams,  Florence,  226,  348 
Wilson,  Sir  Rivers,  276 
Wimborne,  Lord,  354,  379 
Wladimir,  Grand  Duchess,  61,  80 
Wladimir,    Grand    Duke,    at    the 
coronation  of  his  brother.  Em- 
peror   Alexander,    66;    at    the 
Court  ball,  74,  75;  his  care  for 
the  Emperor,  77;  at  the  Palace 
ball,  86;  at  the  revue,   103 
WolflF,     Johannes,     270-272,     276, 

314 
Wolseley,  General,  58,  89 
Wormser,  314 

WorontzofT,  Count,  77,  80,  116 
Wurts,  George,  120 
Wyckham,  CoL,  147 
Wyndham,  286 

York,  Duke  of,  363,  393,  397 

Yves,  190 

Xenia,  Grand  Duchess,  45 
Zuylen,  Mdme.  de,  274 


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